JEFFERSON CITY — All three Democratic state representatives who voted in April to expand private school vouchers in Missouri have since received campaign donations from a dark money group that supported the legislation.
The sweeping education package signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson allows for statewide expansion of the MOScholars voucher program along with hundreds of millions in new public education spending. House lawmakers approved the bill by an 82-69 vote — just hitting the minimum number needed to pass.
While two dozen Republican representatives split with their majority and voted against the measure, three Democrats voted for it — Chantelle Nickson-Clark and Marlene Terry, of north ºüÀêÊÓƵ County, and Steve Butz, of south ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
After the vote, Quality Schools Coalition of Kansas City donated $22,400 to campaign committees for Nickson-Clark and $2,000 each to Terry and Butz, according to July filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission. The dark money group has also spent about $3,350 on phone banking for Nickson-Clark and $17,235 on campaign flyers for Terry.
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“Dark money†refers to nonprofits with an IRS classification allowing them to endorse or donate to political campaigns without disclosing their donors. Quality Schools Coalition brought in $2.1 million in 2022 and typically donates to conservative groups like the 1776 political action committee in St. Charles County, according to IRS records.
Quality Schools Coalition, which counts 11 lobbyists in Jefferson City, hosted last month to honor the “2024 Legislative Champions†who helped pass the education package: Butz, Nickson-Clark and Terry along with Republicans Rep. Phil Christofanelli, of St. Charles County, and Sen. Andrew Koenig, of ºüÀêÊÓƵ County.
The MOScholars program launched in fall of 2022 offering scholarships of $6,375 for private or home school tuition and other eligible education expenses to low-income families and students with learning disabilities. Residents and businesses can receive a credit of up to 50% of state tax liability for their donations to fund the program. About 1,500 students received the vouchers last year, primarily to attend religious private schools.
The new law opens MOScholars statewide after being limited to students living in charter counties or cities of 30,000 or more residents. The financial eligibility was also lifted from 200% of the household income limit for free and reduced lunch to 300% — or $166,500 for a family of four.
Senate Democrats initially blocked a vote on the school choice legislation, but behind-the-scenes negotiations yielded major changes including raising the minimum teacher salary from $25,000 to $40,000 for the 2025-26 school year. A nonpartisan fiscal analysis predicts the law could cost the state more than $450 million annually once fully implemented in fiscal year 2031.
Terry, who previously served on the board of the Riverview Gardens School District, has said she was initially torn over the school choice elements of the legislation, which also includes the expansion of charter schools to Boone County.
Ultimately, Terry supported the bill’s “systemic solutions families and teachers have demanded for a long time: increasing teacher pay, increasing funding for schools, and giving parents freedom to decide what’s best for their child’s education,†according to a Post-Dispatch op-ed in May.
Legislators’ votes on the education bill are proving to be a contentious issue in at least one August primary, where Nickson-Clark is challenging Sen. Angela Mosley for her seat representing the Florissant area.
The Missouri National Education Association union texted voters Tuesday calling Mosley a “hero for ºüÀêÊÓƵ students†for voting against “disastrous Republican voucher schemes†in the bill. Meanwhile, the pro-school choice American Federation for Children Victory Fund mailed flyers blasting Mosley and framing her vote as selling out Missouri teachers.
Nickson-Clark did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment. Mosley said it was “troubling†that her opponent “(voted) with Republicans to hurt public schools and then pocketed a huge campaign contribution from the voucher lobbyists.â€