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State education leaders say the Governor's vetoes have lead to devastating uncertainty

June 24, 2003
By: Elizabeth Gill
State Capital Bureau

School administrators are without budgets just 6-8 weeks before the start of the new school year.

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The Governor's vetoes have left school administrators scrambling to plan a school year without a budget.

Bruce Moe, the communications director for the Missouri State Teachers Association, says the uncertainty is devastating:

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Contents: "I think if you talk to school administrators, what they're going to tell you is right now they just need to know, just tell us how much we've got so we can plan."

Moe says it's frustrating and in some ways scary that schools do not have a budget for a school year that is 6-8 weeks away.

Moe says his organization is encouraging compromise from both the Governor and the legislature.

Brent Ghan of the Missouri School Boards Association says he's pleased the Governor is trying to secure additional revenue for school funding.

But he says at this point the budget situation must be resolved.

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Contents: "We are appreciative of all of his efforts along that line, but on the other side of the coin, we do need to have some resolution to this issue, it simply can't go on indefinitely."

In the past Gahn says schools generally have an idea of what their budgets will be by May.

He says schools are trying to make the best guess they can and at this point, most schools districts are anticipating some kind of cuts.

But he says schools don't know how serious those cuts are going to be and that they need a final answer.

Jim Morris, a spokesman for the department of elementary and secondary education, says the department is trying to guide school districts who are trying to plan their budgets.

Morris says schools are required by law to adopt a budget by June 30th.

He says the department is trying to keep school officials updated with whatever information they have as timely as possible.

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Contents: "Basically we've been advising school districts to be very cautious and not assume anything until they know how this is going to shake out."

While some school officials express concern, one education leader says more school funding is worth the wait.

Greg Jung, president of the Missouri chapter of the National Education Association, supports the Governor's veto.

He says although the uncertainty of the budget is uncomfortable, the cuts put forth by the legislature would be worse:

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Contents: "Quite frankly, without the veto, we would be facing such large cuts the devastation to school districts would be tremendous."
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Lieutenant Governor Joe Maxwell says he agrees the budget uncertainty created by the veto is hard on school administrators, but that they need to consider the alternative:

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Contents: "I would ask that they also look at the school districts who would be severely harmed by the cuts, those cuts will not be restored in the near future."
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Lawmakers have said they will send the Governor back the same exact budget he recently vetoed.

Governor Holden refuses to say whether he will again veto the budget.

He would only say that he is considering all of his options.

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