Missouri Parents Step up to Defend Education Freedom

Chantal Fennell

July 30, 2025
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Press Release: For Immediate Release
Wednesday, July 30, 2025 

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact:
Chantal Fennell, EdChoice
[email protected] | 989-251-8388

Missouri Parents Step up to Defend Education Freedom

EdChoice Legal Advocates partners with parents to protect access to Empowerment Scholarship Accounts

INDIANAPOLIS — On behalf of Missouri families, EdChoice Legal Advocates filed a motion to intervene as defendants in the lawsuit brought by the Missouri National Education Association (MNEA) challenging the state’s expanded Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program, known as MOScholars.

“MOScholars has provided Missouri families with increased educational options for several years,” said Thomas M. Fisher, Executive Vice President and Director of Litigation at EdChoice Legal Advocates, the litigation arm of EdChoice. “The recent expansion of the program is constitutional and will expand education freedom for low-income families and students with learning differences.”

The scholarship program, enacted in 2021 and expanded through legislation in 2024 and 2025, provides education savings accounts for tuition and fees for qualified schools, tutoring programs, services and therapies, and technology or textbooks. Eligible students include those who have an individualized education plan (IEP) or whose family income is below a certain level.

MNEA has asked the Cole County Court to issue an injunction against funding MOScholars accounts for Missouri families from the latest appropriations, which would disrupt education for thousands of students beginning this school year.

EdChoice Legal Advocates is asking the court to allow three Missouri parents who currently use MOScholars or seek scholarships for additional children to formally join the case and defend the constitutionality of the program.

Kyla Knight, a mother of three living in Springfield, has seen her children benefit from a university-style education, part-time schedule and small class sizes. Through MOScholars, Kyla’s youngest has been able to access a tutor to address reading challenges. The appropriated funds for MOScholars would make funding available for Kyla’s older two children, allowing the family to keep up with rising tuition costs so her children can continue learning in a setting that is best for them.

Cassie Clooten is raising three boys in Kearney. Cassie’s youngest son has been a part of MOScholars for three years, which has helped the family secure needed school supplies, such as a home computer for Google classroom courses and homework. Cassie has sought scholarships for her oldest two in MOScholars this year to help cover the cost of increased school tuition.

Libby Eversgerd, a mother of four living in Kirkwood, has relied on MOScholars for her youngest son’s schooling for three years. Libby was disappointed in her local schools as she watched her daughter struggle and, ultimately, drop out. Years later, her youngest son began to resist attending school due to mounting pressure and lack of accommodations for his learning differences. Through MOScholars, she was able to enroll him in a small, private school where his grades and attendance improved dramatically. She hopes that additional funding for MOScholars means she will no longer have to wait until late in the school year to receive a scholarship for her son.

“Missouri families depend on MOScholars to afford educational options that best fit their children’s needs,” said Fisher. “We are proud to support these brave parents who are stepping forward to defend and protect the expansion of the MOScholars program.”

Learn more about the case:

To be connected with Thomas Fisher or one of the clients, contact Chantal Fennell at [email protected]. 

EdChoice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Its mission is to advance educational freedom and choice for all as a pathway to successful lives and a stronger society. EdChoice is committed to understanding and pursuing a K–12 education ecosystem that empowers every family to choose the learning environment that fits their children’s needs best. Learn more at edchoice.org.

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Chantal Fennell

Vice President of Communications

Chantal is the Vice President of Communications at EdChoice, where she directs the organization’s communications efforts, and manages its brand and public relations.

Prior to joining the EdChoice team, Chantal served as the Director of Policy Advancement at the State Policy Network, where she worked with state-based organizations to advance policy reforms. Before that, Chantal worked as the communications manager at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Michigan, and as the Nevada Policy Research Institute’s communications director.

Prior to beginning her career in the policy advocacy movement, Chantal was a journalist in California, where she received awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for investigative reporting, economic reporting, and features writing. During her time as a reporter, Chantal authored an exposé that resulted in the creation of one of the nation’s first-ever curriculum for high school students with high-functioning autism.

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