Jefferson City News

The State Board of Education has approved the permanent closure of 12 Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled (MSSD) operated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The decision was made during the August 12 board meeting in Sedalia, following recommendations from DESE aimed at improving services for students with extensive support needs across Missouri.

Six schools that were already temporarily consolidated due to staff shortages will close immediately. These include Briarwood in Harrisonville, Lakeview Woods in Lee’s Summit, Gateway/Hubert Wheeler in St. Louis, Rolling Meadow in Higginsville, Delmar Cobble in Columbia, and Ozark Hills in Salem. Another six schools—Citadel (Potosi), College View (Joplin), Crowley Ridge (Dexter), Dogwood Hills (Eldon), Lillian Schaper (Bowling Green), and Prairie View (Marshall)—will close by the end of the 2025-26 school year to address ongoing challenges that could otherwise lead to emergency consolidations.

“The State Board of Education believes this is the first step in providing more opportunities and strengthening education for all students enrolled in Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled,” said State Board President Mary Schrag. “This decision is not taken lightly but will result in a more efficient program that enriches quality resources provided to students and their families.”

Over the past two years, DESE collaborated with Public Consulting Group LLC and Capital Asset Engineering to independently assess MSSD’s operations and educational programming. In September 2024, a Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee (LRPAC) comprising over 50 stakeholders was formed to review these findings and offer recommendations.

“We appreciate the work of the advisory committee over the past year,” said Commissioner of Education Dr. Karla Eslinger. “I know this recommendation did not come without careful consideration of putting the students’ best interests first. Ultimately, LRPAC’s work revealed that permanently closing these 12 locations will improve services provided to students with severe disabilities and their families. This timeline provides opportunity for our educators and families to determine best outcomes for their student.”

The LRPAC highlighted strengths within MSSD such as dedicated staff and leadership who foster a supportive environment for students. However, several challenges were also identified:

- Enrollment has dropped by 36 percent over 16 years.

- Staff recruitment remains difficult with a current vacancy rate at 23 percent.

- Many facilities are aging or have inefficient use of space.

- There are inconsistencies in progress monitoring and limited opportunities for social interaction between disabled and non-disabled peers.

DESE stated its commitment to educating Missouri students with extensive support needs in settings that are as inclusive as possible—a principle aligned with federal law—and noted that most other states provide less restrictive placements than Missouri currently does.

A full list of LRPAC recommendations can be found on DESE’s website through its MSSD LRPAC webpage.