Mará Rose Williams
The Kansas City Star
Kansas City, MO, United States
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Past articles by Mará:
Johnson County Community College president stepping down after seven years
Johnson County Community College President Joe Sopcich announced he will retire effective July 1, 2020. In his six years leading the school he weathered controversies over a tuition hike and the track program. → Read More
Graduates of closed Kansas college suing Betsy DeVos for millions in loan debt relief
Former Wright Career College students still in financial ruin years after graduating are joining 158,000 others suing Betsy DeVos and the U.S. Department of Education to have their student loans canceled. → Read More
K-State cutting budgets in every department, but it won’t raise tuition for Kansans
Kansas Board of Regents says tuition won’t go up for Kansans at its six universities, but with enrollment dropping, Kansas State University will have to cut department budgets and boost student recruitment. → Read More
As classrooms grow more diverse, equity training shows teachers have a lot to learn
North Kansas City and some other area districts are praising racial equity training, while Lee’s Summit schools have been slow to offer teachers and staff the training that’s growing across the nation. → Read More
Lee’s Summit School Board reverses course, will pay for district-wide equity training
The Lee’s Summit School Board flipped on a decision it made last month and on Wednesday night voted to pay for racial equity training that Superintendent Dennis Carpenter proposed for all teachers and staff. → Read More
College gave KC-area students ‘worthless’ course credits, ‘crippling debt,’ suit says
National American University, which closed area campuses in May, is accused of fraud by former students claiming it lied about the value of credits and job prospects to collect thousands in student loan money. → Read More
Feuding over race issue, Lee’s Summit superintendent and board head to mediation
The Lee’s Summit school board and Superintendent Dennis Carpenter will enter mediation in an effort to mend a dispute that erupted over whether to hire a firm to provide racial equity training. → Read More
UMKC pushed false narrative after student from India was killed in KC restaurant
University of Missouri-Kansas City graduate student Sharath Koppu was killed while working behind the counter of J’s Fish and Chicken Market in Kansas City last July. But why did UMKC officials say he wasn’t working? → Read More
Center schools superintendent resigns abruptly. District, board are mum on why
The Center school district board is being quiet about why, after four years on the job, Superintendent Sharon K. Nibbelink suddenly resigned last week without a public explanation. → Read More
UMKC coach was accused of sexual harassment. Now he’s fired because of team’s record
Greg Bachkora, the University of Missouri-Kansas City assistant softball coach accused of sexual harassment by former players, was terminated along with head coach Meredith Neal. UMKC wants to improve the team. → Read More
Tempers flare as Lee’s Summit school board revisits racial equity plan
The Lee’s Summit school board met Wednesday to discuss moving forward on a racial equity plan. But the meeting devolved into an hour of explanations on why some members voted against a training firm. → Read More
Lenexa couple are central characters in miniseries about America’s Ebola outbreak
Julianna Margulies stars as Nancy Jaax of Lenexa in the National Geographic miniseries “The Hot Zone,” about the 1989 Ebola outbreak in Reston, Virginia. Noah Emmerich plays her husband, Jerry Jaax. → Read More
Lee’s Summit board leader sorry she equated life as a blonde to racial oppression
Lee’s Summit school board president Julie Doane apologized Monday for statements she had made at a meeting. She had equated disparaging comments about being blond to racist treatment against black people → Read More
Lee’s Summit superintendent threatens to quit over board vote on racial equity plan
The controversy over racial equity in the Lee’s Summit erupted with school board members voting down training for teachers and staff, and Superintendent Dennis Carpenter saying he now wants out of the district. → Read More
University of Missouri and UMKC students will pay 5% more in tuition this fall
The University of Missouri System is raising tuition 5% at all four campuses, including UMKC and MU, this fall. Required fees for undergraduates are also going up. → Read More
MU freshmen enrollment jumps again, though still lower than 2015 numbers
University of Missouri freshman enrollment is up again. While enrollment may be rebounding after several years of decline, it hasn’t yet caught up to 2015 numbers. → Read More
After 50 years supporting K-State students, Pat Bosco is leaving his ‘slice of heaven’
Pat Bosco is retiring from Kansas State University after 50 years of looking out for students there. He started at K-State as an undergraduate in 1969 and rose to be dean of students. → Read More
Reporter had audio of Tyreek Hill ‘for weeks’ until source finally OK’d its release
Audio of Tyreek Hill and his fiancee was given to a KCTV5 reporter weeks ago. When the Johnson County district attorney said his office would not file charges, the source of the recording gave the OK to air it. → Read More
MU slashing budgets $25 million to give more scholarships and staff raises
University of Missouri is cutting department budgets an average 5 percent to put $25 million toward scholarships, raises and research. → Read More
Charter schools claim they are losing millions in tax revenue to KC district
Charter schools claim they’ve been shortchanged, and the Kansas City school district is getting roughly $15 million that belongs to them. KCPS officials dispute that amount. → Read More