Quarterly Message

September 2023

As the one-year anniversary of SCCFFPS approaches, we want to thank each of you for your part in helping us identify and support qualified board candidates for St. Charles County school boards.

About a year ago, a few of us began to meet and discuss the future of school boards and educational priorities in St. Charles County. We formed to help protect our schools from those who supported vouchers, school choice, open enrollment, censorship and divisive culture war topics. We also wanted to help protect the integrity of the teaching staff of our St. Charles County schools.

In the last election cycle, we supported nine candidates – five won. We hope to improve our candidacy win record in 2024 as our students have the most to lose if our local school boards are controlled by those who are focused on agendas that emanate from fear and divisiveness.

Without each of you and your generous financial contributions, we could not support the candidates who are working hard to protect our schools from forces working to dismantle our great St. Charles County Public Schools.

We look forward to working with you again this year. We thank you sincerely for your contributions of time, money and energy. Together we can create a learning environment where all students can succeed and thrive.

Upcoming Trivia Night

SCCFFPS will host another fun trivia night on Saturday, November 4, at the American Legion Hall on 2500 Raymond Drive, St. Charles, MO. This FUNdraiser was a huge success last year. We hope to see you there. If you or an organization for which you work or are involved with can make a donation for the silent auction, please let us know. This support helps tremendously. Visit our events page to purchase tickets.

Legislative Session

Many in the Missouri Legislature continue to work to undermine public education in the form of vouchers/tax credits, open enrollment, school funding and censorship. It is critical to the success of our schools that voters stay focused on these issues in the upcoming session that starts January 2024.

But for the voice of many public school supporters in 2023, these initiatives would have gained the needed traction to pass and devastate the quality of our St. Charles County Schools.

If you’re not sure you who represents you in the state legislature, look up your legislators here.

April Election Update

In recent years, the relevance of local school board elections has taken on even greater weight. SCCFFPS is at the forefront of efforts to emphasize the critical nature of April board elections. As we finalize our slate of prospective candidates whom we intend to endorse, your engagement becomes invaluable.

In the interim, we seek your support. Extend invitations to others within your network to connect with our Facebook page here.

Your assistance in encouraging  individuals to register to vote is also invaluable – this pertains not only to adults but also eligible high school and college students. You can register to vote at any of the following locations:

• Online through the Missouri Secretary of State website
• Election Authority Office
• Vehicle registration offices
• State offices providing public assistance

The deadline for voter registration for the April elections is March 6, 2024.

Now is the time for conversations regarding what hangs in the balance. These elections determine the course of our educational institutions. SCCFFPS believes in informed action, and your involvement can make a tangible difference.

Why Give Money to an Education PAC

SCCFFPS is a political action committee organized pursuant to law and the Missouri Ethics Commission. We are actively engaged in fundraising to fund our candidates and activities.

We are occasionally asked why a supporter of public education should make donations to a PAC as opposed to individual candidates.

Supporters are certainly welcome to make contributions to individual public education friendly candidates. However, school board elections have evolved over the past few years to highlight the importance and effectiveness of the involvement of PACs. Because either two or three board members are selected each April among several candidates, candidates who run as a “slate” are more likely to be successful due to the block voting that has been encouraged by different groups.

A candidate committee can only use its funds to promote the candidate for which it was formed. On the other hand, PACs may expend their funds to support slates of candidates. This makes PACs more effective in helping to elect the selected candidates since voters tend to vote in blocks favoring their desired slate.

SCCFFPS strongly believes that school board elections should remain non-partisan. Injecting partisan politics into public education campaigns and governance is detrimental to the ideal that public schools exist to serve everyone.

Your financial support is critical to our success. Your donations are always welcome.

DONATE TODAY

SCCFFPS Proposes Resolution on School Funding

One of the ways that the opponents of public education seek to undermine our schools is to divert public money away from our local schools through voucher, tax credit and open enrollment schemes. SCCFFPS has asked each school board in St. Charles County to adopt the following resolution:

{ ______ } School District

WHEREAS, public schools are the cornerstone of a democratic society, providing equal opportunities for education to all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, or ability; and

WHEREAS, vouchers, tax credits and open enrollment policies divert critical resources and funding away from public schools, undermining their ability to serve the needs of all students and maintain educational standards; and

WHEREAS, vouchers, tax credits and open enrollment policies promote market-driven competition among schools, which can exacerbate inequalities and lead to a two-tiered system that disproportionately benefits privileged students while neglecting disadvantaged and marginalized communities; and

WHEREAS, vouchers, tax credits and open enrollment policies have been shown to contribute to increased segregation in schools, perpetuating racial and socioeconomic disparities and hindering efforts to achieve educational equity and social integration; and

WHEREAS, public schools are accountable to the community and are required to adhere to established standards, regulations, and oversight mechanisms, ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability in the use of public funds; and

WHEREAS, vouchers, tax credits and open enrollment policies often lack adequate accountability measures, allowing private schools that receive public funds to operate with less scrutiny and oversight, potentially compromising the quality and inclusivity of education; and

WHEREAS, St. Charles County is a thriving community maintaining high property values and low crime rates in large part because of our excellent public schools. The defunding of our schools would devastate their ability to deliver a high-quality education to every student.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Education of the ______ School District opposes the diversion of public money from public schools through vouchers, tax credits and open enrollment policies, and urges legislators, policymakers, and educational stakeholders to prioritize and strengthen the public education system by:

1. Investing in and adequately funding public schools to increase teacher salaries and to ensure that all students have access to quality education and necessary resources;
2. Implementing strategies that promote equity, inclusivity, and diversity within public schools, such as targeted interventions and support systems for disadvantaged students;
3. Encouraging collaboration and resource-sharing among public schools to ensure the equitable distribution of resources and expertise;
4. Enhancing transparency and accountability mechanisms in public schools to maintain public trust and ensure responsible use of taxpayer dollars;
5. Promoting evidence-based reforms and practices that have been proven to enhance student achievement and support academic success;
6. Engaging parents, educators, and community members in decision-making processes to foster ownership and collective responsibility for public education;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be distributed to each member of the St. Charles County legislative delegation, urging them to take action to oppose vouchers, tax credits and open enrollment policies and to preserve and strengthen the public education system for the benefit of all students and the well-being of our community.

St. Charles County Families For Public Schools

P.O. Box 1446, St. Charles, MO 63302
United States of America

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Paid for by St. Charles County Families for Public Schools, Ted House, Treasurer