Missouri does not have an interim state education commissioner and technically does not have a State Board of Education president.
Mary Schrag resigned as the president on Tuesday. Schrag, of southern Missouri’s West Plains, served on the board for seven years.
“With new State Board members well established and more on the way, this is a natural and logical time for me to step away,” Schrag said. “It’s been an honor to serve Missouri students alongside all the State Board members. Please know that my support for public education in Missouri is not going anywhere.”
“Claudia and I want to thank Mary Schrag for her years of dedicated service to students, families, and educators on the Missouri State Board of Education. Even after her term expired, Mary continued to serve as president of the board — providing steady leadership, stability, and guidance for new members. Her commitment to education has made a lasting impact, and we wish her the very best in this next chapter,” Gov. Mike Kehoe said in a written statement.
Schrag’s departure on Tuesday left an opening that was quickly filled by the governor on Wednesday. In a news release, Kehoe announced the nominations of Jordan Bradberry of Kansas City and Robbie Meyers of Poplar Bluff.
Bradberry is the nominee for the 4th Congressional District seat, which was previously held by Kim Bailey. Meyers is the nominee for the 8th Congressional District seat, which was previously held by Schrag.
The only seasoned board members currently serving are Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge and Kerry Casey, both of St. Louis County. The term for Westbrooks-Hodge, appointed by former Gov. Mike Parson, expires July 1, 2026. The term for Casey, also a Parson appointment, expires July 1, 2027.
Board members appointed in April 2025 are Brooks Miller, Mike Matousek, and Jon Otto. Dr. Gretchen Shull was appointed to the board in October 2025. These four make up Kehoe’s list of confirmed appointments.
A news release from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) says Vice President Brooks Miller will assume the role as president until the board holds elections at its June 23 meeting.
DESE Spokesman Lucas Bond told Missourinet a board vote for the temporary role is not required. He cites bylaws saying if the president resigns, the vice president handles the role of the president. However, they don’t officially hold the title of president or interim president.
When the Missouri Legislature is not in session, which is currently the case, the governor’s appointments can serve at least until the state Senate returns and decides whether to support the governor’s decisions. It’s the Senate’s prerogative if it does not want to consider the nominees. If senators choose not to consider the nominees, the governor’s picks cannot serve on the board.
Whether that scenario plays out with his nominees remains to be seen. The Missouri Senate has been known to block votes on gubernatorial appointments, sometimes as leverage on a priority or to make a statement. At the same time, these scenarios might be tough considering Missouri has a Republican governor and a Republican-controlled Senate.
The governor nominates board members, but he does not technically pick the person who will serve as State Education Commissioner. That is the role of the eight-member State Board of Education.
Missouri purposely set up the system to give the board the duty to choose a commissioner in an attempt to avoid political appointments. No more than four members can belong to one political party.
Some people might argue that the governor still has a hand in the selection process. The majority of the board is usually made up of members appointed by the governor at the time, which is currently the case.
As for the State Education Commissioner position, Karla Eslinger announced her retirement on May 12. She served in the position for nearly two years. Her retirement took effect June 1.
Kelli Jones, Eslinger’s Deputy Commissioner of Learning Services, retired the same day as the commissioner.
The State Board of Education’s job is to choose an interim commissioner and to fill the permanent position. What’s the holdup? Bond told Missourinet board members are still trying to figure out who they want to serve in the temporary role.
There appears to be disagreement. Members met in closed sessions May 26 and May 29. They have scheduled another closed meeting for Friday, which Bond said is being held virtually. The agendas for the meetings have been vague but likely about selecting an interim commissioner.
What’s the timeline to have an interim in place? Bond said he does not know.
In the case of formal procedures used for a closed or emergency meeting, Bond said the department is required to notify the public and share the agenda 24 hours in advance. The minutes and recordings are not required to be made public.
The commissioner is the one who has the authority to sign off on things like teaching certificates and grant-related material. When there is not a permanent commissioner in place, the board can give the power to the interim commissioner or someone designated by the board.
Since an interim commissioner does not currently exist, Bond told Missourinet the signing of this paperwork is on hold.
The resignations of the commissioner, deputy commissioner, and the board president likely signal a change in Missouri’s direction of K-12 public education. For the past two years, Kehoe has designated tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to help cover the tuition for students to attend private school. He has also assigned a statewide task force to update Missouri’s formula used to fund public education. The formula has not been changed in about 20 years.
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