When Budgets Shrink, Students Pay the Price. But Missouri Has Another Option

Kevin Eberly | Aug 14, 2025

In Missouri, special education is in the crosshairs.

This summer, the State Board of Education voted to close 12 specialized schools for students with significant disabilities by mid-2026. They pointed to declining enrollment — down 36% over the past 16 years — and nearly $50 million in deferred maintenance as reasons the system could no longer sustain itself. But behind the numbers is a harsher truth: hundreds of students with complex needs are about to lose their schools.

And that’s not the only hit. In July, Governor Mike Parson vetoed more than $300 million from the state budget, including funding for “Grow Your Own” teacher recruitment programs and other education initiatives designed to attract and retain talent. The message is clear: Missouri’s education system will need to do more with less, for the foreseeable future.

Flat budgets. School closures. Pipeline programs gutted. For students with disabilities — and the educators who serve them — the future feels uncertain.

The Hidden Cost of the Old Model

When schools close or programs get cut, displaced students don’t just lose a building — they lose access to qualified professionals who understand their needs. And when recruitment funding dries up, the pool of new talent shrinks even further. The result is a perfect storm: higher caseloads, longer wait times for services, and students slipping through the cracks.

For many districts, the only stopgap has been expensive contract staffing — which keeps costs high and flexibility low. It’s a system that just isn’t built for the budget realities Missouri is facing.

A Smarter Way to Keep Services Flowing

Think of it as the “Uber” for special education staffing. Instead of committing to costly, full-time hires, districts can post exactly what they need — a few hours a week, a short-term assessment, temporary IEP coverage — and get matched instantly with credentialed providers who already work in education and have extra hours to give.

Here’s why it works in a budget crisis:

It’s a model that keeps qualified professionals in the system, spreads their expertise across more students, and stretches every budget dollar further.

From Crisis Response to Long-Term Strategy

Missouri’s education leaders are being forced into tough decisions. Closing schools, cutting programs, and keeping funding flat may balance the books in the short term — but without a way to maintain service delivery, students will pay the price for years to come.

FillerB offers a way forward. By tapping into an invisible workforce that already exists inside Missouri’s borders, districts can preserve student support without the heavy overhead. It’s not a stopgap — it’s a workforce model built for today’s challenges.

Because while buildings may close and budgets may shrink, the need for skilled, compassionate professionals never goes away. Missouri’s students deserve continuity. And with the right approach, they can have it.

If Missouri school leaders want to explore how to keep services flowing without breaking the budget, they can start at www.FillerB.com. The talent is out there. It’s time to connect the dots.

Sources

  1. Rudi Keller, Missouri State Board of Education Votes to Close 12 Schools for Disabled Students, Missouri Independent (Aug. 13, 2025), https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-state-board-of-education-votes-to-close-12-schools-for-disabled-students.
  2. Rudi Keller, Missouri School Funding Task Force Turns Its Attention to Property Tax Inequities, Missouri Independent (June 23, 2025), https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/23/missouri-school-funding-task-force-turns-its-attention-to-property-tax-inequities.
  3. Emily Rittman, Teacher Recruitment Program on the Chopping Block After Missouri Governor Cuts $300 Million From State Budget, KCTV5 (July 1, 2025), https://www.kctv5.com/2025/07/01/teacher-recruitment-program-chopping-block-after-missouri-governor-cuts-300-million-state-budget.