A Decade of Barriers: One Family’s Fight for a Better School—and Why Missouri Needs Open Enrollment

By CEAM’s Director of Outreach

When Missouri’s school transfer law went into effect, families like Dawn’s finally saw a path to a better education. But what should have been a lifeline became a decade-long ordeal—and I witnessed every heartbreaking step.

For more than twelve years at CEAM, I’ve worked with families determined to secure the best possible education for their children. Dawn’s story is one of grit, hope, and an unrelenting love for her kids. It’s also a powerful case study in why Missouri must pass open enrollment.

A Mother’s Fight for Stability

Ten years ago, I met Dawn and her two children, Kayla and Dakota, who lived in the Normandy School District. When the state’s transfer program opened the door to Pattonville School District, Dawn seized the opportunity. She knew it could transform her children’s lives.

But instead of support, she encountered obstacles at every turn. Every semester brought a new round of paperwork, home visits, and meetings to verify the same facts over and over again—proof of residency, guardianship, eligibility. The process never got easier.

Each year, we met to navigate the bureaucracy. Each year, Dawn worried: Would this be the semester they were denied? Could one missing document or skeptical administrator undo everything?

Despite it all, Kayla and Dakota thrived. They built friendships, earned honors, and became part of the Pattonville community. But the stress was constant, the sense of belonging never guaranteed.

When Programs End, Families Persist

Eventually, the transfer program was phased out. Dawn was faced with an impossible choice: uproot her children from the only school community they had known for years—or find a permanent home within Pattonville boundaries.

She chose to move. For two years, she searched for affordable housing in one of the most competitive districts in the region. When she finally succeeded, the challenges still weren’t over. The district challenged her residency. Meetings resumed. Paperwork piled up. But Dawn never gave up.

Because what she understood—and what policy often overlooks—is that schools aren’t just buildings. They are ecosystems of trust, care, and belonging. Her children’s lives were anchored there. Forcing them to start over would mean far more than lost academic time—it would mean erasing their entire foundation.

A Graduation—and a Wake-Up Call

Last week, I watched Dakota walk across the stage at his high school graduation. I’d watched Kayla do the same just a few years earlier. These were triumphant moments—but they weren’t victories of a supportive system. They were hard-won battles against it.

Kayla is now a powerful advocate herself. She has testified twice at the Missouri Capitol in support of open enrollment legislation, sharing firsthand the stress and instability her family endured. Dakota is heading to Ranken Technical College to pursue his dream of working in the automotive industry, carrying with him a decade of resilience.

Why Open Enrollment Matters

Dawn’s story reveals a simple but profound truth: Missouri families are not asking for special treatment. They’re asking for a fair shot.

Our state’s current education policies force parents to become housing experts, legal researchers, and full-time advocates just to keep their children in a good school. It shouldn’t be this way.

Open enrollment would fix that. It would allow families to enroll their children in the public school that best fits their needs—without moving, without annual re-verification, and without fear of being uprooted.

It’s a solution rooted in common sense and compassion. And it’s long overdue.

A Call to Action

Dawn’s children are grown now, but her advocacy continues—on behalf of the countless parents still stuck in systems designed to say no. Her persistence is a reminder that behind every policy debate are real children, real families, and real futures at stake.

The question isn’t whether Missouri families deserve better—it’s how long we’ll keep making them fight for it.

Let’s pass open enrollment. Let’s make stories like Dawn’s the exception—not the rule.

The author serves as Director of Outreach at the Children’s Education Alliance of Missouri (CEAM) and has spent over a decade supporting families, advocating for education reform, and building parent-led movements for school choice across Missouri.