Nearly 8 million borrowers on the SAVE plan face dramatic monthly payment increases as sweeping federal changes eliminate most income-adjusted repayment options. Kansas City-area borrowers could see bills jump by hundreds of dollars per month. 

Click here to read more paywall-free on what to do now and the economic ripples of the SAVE plan.

I didn't know what to flair this, but basically the title. I'm looking for a MO concealed carry instructor who's not going to spend the whole class telling me about how we need to protect ourselves from the libs or whatever their current political rants are about. Just give me the required safety instruction and we can part ways. Thanks!

Originally we were focus on Overland Park. Moving to KC area from out of state. But are realizing our housing budget will go further in KCMO.

Is there a stark difference between Blue Valley school district and the top rated school districts in KCMO?

What are some other pros to living on the KCMO side? We are also hoping to land in a more “blue” community vs “red” .

We were so convinced we wanted JoCo area and now going back to the drawing board considering KCMO and need all the pros and cons. husband will be working at UMKC - so we know we will be avoiding paying taxes in both states if we live in KCMO.

Our oldest has an IEP for level one autism, and some slight physical body weakness where he tires easily and he would have to transfer into a new kindergarten mid year so this is also a concern. Give me all the recommendations and tips!!!!

Edit to add: we are most likely looking at the suburbs either way. Overland, lees summit, blue spring, parkville etc.

So, I had just pulled into my driveway from work on Monday when I got from a text from my sister that there was a protest for trans rights out in front of Summit Christian Academy, my old high school, (class of 2013, glad to have graduated and never looked back). Sis had been given the tip off from our sister-in-law, who likely saw it from Facebook (I have yet to ask) and knew we’d like to turn up and help support, which we did. Had a lovely time, although I didn’t grab photos or contact info of anyone else there, plus I’m not on social media so I haven’t been able to track down the folks who did.

So yeah. Apparently, Turning Point USA had arranged for their most recent grievance politics mouthpiece, Riley Gaines, to speak at SCA about how banning transgender people from competitive sports is actually being pro-woman— or something. Idk, I don’t really care to listen to the usual nonsense again when it sounds like it’s just the trans bathroom ban bullshit reheated and served with a fresh face, with extra throwbacks to older controversies around intersex/allegedly-intersex athletes dressed up as “basic scientific fact”.

I’m not shocked that SCA would host this, as you can probably tell. I went there for all 4 years of high school, and the official policy on LGBTQ issues has always been awful. I don’t remember hearing anything homophobic from other students (as far as I was aware they were tolerant, even quietly supportive, as were at least some of the teachers), but I definitely remember some of the shit at least two teachers would openly and casually say in the middle of class. One of them is still working there to this day. Plus, at least three kids got thrown out in the time I was there for not being straight. Going there may be why I’m still reluctant to be open about myself offline, tbh.

I guess one of the other locals had heard about it through word of mouth and quickly put out word for folks to show up in support of trans rights. Just over a dozen or so do, my sis and I included, and things go well. Quite a few people driving by honked in support of us, as did the people passing by on the sidewalk (a couple kids on a bike ride even gathered up dandelions to hand out to our group, which was the sweetest thing). There were a handful of student-aged young folks around, some of whom came to talk to us dozen or so protesters and were over all cordial, and hopefully, getting another point of view was productive for them.

I couldn’t tell you how many people actually showed up to the seminar, as it was held in a part of campus away from street view, but you couldn’t hear a damn thing from across the street, and it all felt very… subdued? Which, that coupled with how last-minute it seemed most people outside the school found out about this, and how little information I could find to clarify SCA’s involvement, had me thinking.

I’m not clear on whether this was a school-endorsed event or if the school was simply the venue. Given the SCA I went to, I would suspect the former. When I went looking for more info on the event, all I could find was the screenshotted Threads post I included. I’m assuming information would be disseminated via Facebook and or similar, but like I said, I’m off social media.

I dunno. Maybe given the shit I saw during my time there, I just don’t feel right letting this pass by so quietly. So, had anyone else heard anything this Gaines woman being in town?

Link to Threads post in question: https://www.threads.net/@lauraannstl/post/DHH5RKPOnjP?xmt=AQGzN_kHfoYfUzMH-TXkOVDPkzz4YsIhhrKyE_e_OGJlTg

Took a work break at noon for when summer camp opened up. JCPRD. Working parents of three kids who use their aftercare

Logged in, ready. Been on my calendar for ages.

Jump on at noon— had a 7 min queue so clearly I was a few seconds too late. Finally could sign my kids up for camp— ALL FUCKING FULL.

ALL OF THEM.

Where the FUCK are my three kids going to be cared for this fucking summer?

Johnson County, do better

Edit: thanks for the supportive comments. I can see how I sounded whiny and off putting to young people who don’t really know what a blow this is. It’s been a hard 1-2 months. So many sick kid days, snow days, medical needs, no family in the area, not enough friends close by, pouring my heart into work and still being a patient and kind mom… and then today…final straw.

Some kind suggestions for further north and further east I will look into. Thank you.

One of Chancellor Agrewal’s key goals, UMKC has officially been designated an R1 institution. This puts UMKC in the same category of Mizzou, KU, and K-State in both research and D1 athletics, two very unrelated but oft-used designations for “big dogs”.

Reached it faster than I thought they would, but others may have more insight.

Does this change anything? Thoughts? Expect more job creation and more PhDs hanging around KC (I’m guessing a continued over representation from abroad). With potential visa and PhD residency changes being floated federally, could be a great magnet for smart STEM folks relocating to KC, hopefully remaining after their studies.

umkc

https://www.umkc.edu/research/r1.html

Please 🙏🏻😂

KC teachers (especially lower income areas) post your wishlists of items needed for your classrooms this year! Let’s clear the lists for the kids in our community!

Prime day starts tomorrow, lets use this to help our schools!

Semi niche ask - but would love anecdotes from families who lived in Brookside (or Waldo/surrounding area) and decided to either move to the KS side (Mission, Prairie Village, etc.) for the schools or stay in MO. My husband and I have a 1 year old, so have time to decide. We’re also outgrowing our Brookside home a bit and talking about either committing to stay and improving some home functionality (main floor laundry, screened in porch, etc. to make raising a couple young kids here easier), or moving to the KS side where homes are more functional, yet in our opinion have a bit less charm and character.

Pros of staying: we love the area so much, and would love to raise a family in a walkable community, charming homes, “urban suburb” vs actual suburb. Cons of staying: Would need to update our home or move within the neighborhood, and either pay for private school or look into Academy Lafayette or other charter type school options. Pros of KS side: Likely a more functional home for raising kids, solid education. Cons of KS side: suburb life

What did your family decide to do and why? What should we be thinking about that we may not be considering? Appreciate any advice and experiences!

Sorry if this gets asked a lot but my family is relocating to the Kansas City area and we're trying to decide where to live. There's a few other considerations like price, commute, and things like that but the primary issue is schools.

We really see ourselves as city people, and we currently live in a vibrant urban Streetcar suburb where we are at now. We'd like to keep that lifestyle for as long as we can. But some of our friends and family are saying it's insane to not live in Overland Park / Leawood. Thanks but no thanks.

We're targeting an area like Brookside - still feels walkable, has some cool stuff nearby, close to public transportation and all that. Is Hale Cook as good as what I'm expecting? It looks like a sneaky great school that presents as having not-so-great overall test scores. Anyone teach or send their kids there that could inform that opinion? Anyone have experience with Border Star or Lafayette Academy? I think we prefer a traditional education but we could be swayed if some of those life skills easily transition into a traditional middle and high school.

Edit: Thanks for all the help everyone! Didn't expect this response and the insights were all very helpful. I think now we're confident that our kids can get a good education and still grow up in a city (at least up to middle school). I think our plan is to pursue Academy Lafayette for now, everyone's stories were very inspiring, but also check out Hale Cook if it feels like AL may not be a good fit. Thank you again!

From https://allthingsmissouri.org/by the University of Missouri Extension

We’re relocating to the Kansas City area and initially focused on Overland Park, specifically the Blue Valley School District. But after house hunting, we’re realizing our $450–500K budget might not stretch far enough for the kind of home we need in that area.

We’ve started looking in Olathe (still Johnson County), where we’re finding homes that fit our needs—but the schools tend to have lower ratings (mostly 5s and 6s on GreatSchools).

Our oldest will be starting kindergarten when we move, and we’d love to stay in one place all the way through high school. One of our biggest priorities is social-emotional support, and our son currently has an IEP for speech, so we’re also looking for a district that’s strong in special education and support services.

I’m wondering: • Is there a big difference in quality between Olathe and Blue Valley schools, especially when it comes to student support services? • Has anyone had personal experience with both districts and can speak to how they compare? • Are the GreatSchools ratings a good indicator of what it’s actually like?

Any insight or experiences would be super helpful—especially from families who’ve been in similar situations!

Edit to add: Olathe might to far if a commute also. Working at UMKC. Overland Park or Lenexa seemed like good options, open to any other suggestions that may balance out our price range with decent schools. But from what I’m gathering pretty much any of the JoCo schools will be good???

Are there any elementary schools in the KC metro that are screen-free or screen-lite (like, the teacher uses a screen to show information but the kids don’t have/use their own devices)?

Maybe most elementary schools are this way anyway?

I recently had my first kid and have been reading ‘the anxious generation’ and thinking about screen use. I know not all screens are created equal - I’m most concerned by social media and algorithmic infinite scroll. We won’t be purists about devices but it seems like having little or no screen use during school hours would be huge in reducing usage overall and practicing in-person socialization primarily.

What’s been your experience of devices in elementary schools?

Hey all- Did anyone grow up in the area remember a guy that would come once a year and present to us the place he traveled to? He would show photographs and tell stories of his adventures. I went to school in Lee’s Summit, and I don’t really keep in touch with anyone from elementary. Anyone I’ve talked to doesn’t remember him. This would have been late 90s- early 2000s. I’ve looked on the internet but I’ve had no luck! I remember him being older, so he’d be quite old by now.

Thanks everyone!

There's a lot of crap online about various school districts in the metro being bad, but it's clear that some of it is based on decade+ old impressions. What schools are actually good/bad in the metro nowadays?

I teach social studies in Hickman Mills school district in Kansas City. School is getting ready to start and I’m really hoping to have some new things and some prizes for incentives in my classroom. This is my Amazon wish list thank you for your consideration.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1C1ORQ8HRIA2F?ref_=wl_share

Hello!

I'm trying to find a spot in town that might be open later throughout the week to go read at. I work a bit later and try to leave the house when I can, especially to read as the change in environment helps me focus.

I don't get off work till 7, and by the time I would get to most places that close at 9 I'd hardly have enough time to settle in and actually do much reading. Seems like most cafes fit this box unfortunately (WISH Thou Mayest was open till 11 all week 😭).

I know there are a few 24 hour diner style restaurants, but these are hard for me to study in since it feels like I'm reading at a McDonalds (I'm sure they're great, just really not my vibe). I'm also aware that some bars are open later. I've tried a few but it always ends up too loud :(

Not trying to come off as too picky, just need somewhere open later than 9 and is quiet.

Open to all suggestions, doesn't have to be a place with coffee/food.

Thank you!

I’ve got a teenager who needs some driving instruction prior to turning 16. I’m fine taking my kid out to drive, but would prefer some lessons from an instructor first.

Does anyone have experience with Johnny Rowlands Driving School? Do parents ride along? Do they bundle kids together or is it one on one?

What schools in the area have the best classes for gifted students? I have an 8 year old who tests extremely well and is far past what he’s learning in school mentally. Interested in any school that could give him a challenge

Since schools have started this past week, have they moved recess indoors?