Mo. Senate Leaders Commit to Full School Funding

January 29, 2010

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Republican senate leaders say they are committed to giving Missouri schools the full amount of money called for under the states school financing formula.

Missouri governor Jay Nixon proposed a budget that would give public schools barely one-sixth of the funding increase called for under the financial formula for next school year.

Kirksville R-III superintendent Patrick Williams discussed the formula with KTVO.

“Forty percent of our funding comes from the state foundation formula” said Williams.  “The government recently announced that they would pro-rate out the formula this spring with a reduction in 2010.  In anticipation of this, over the past year, we’ve been undertaking budget reduction through attrition and trimming out some staff and moving reductions in other areas; so at this point in time we are fine.”

Some public school officials have said they would have to make additional cuts or seek local tax increases if the state formula were not fully funded.