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Senate grapples with school funding

April 12, 2005
By: Tim Carnahan
State Capital Bureau
Links: SB287

Hours of floor debate only scratched the surface of a proposed education funding plan. As Tim Carnahan reports from Jefferson City, the complex school funding formula had legislators working for regional needs.

Story:
RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

The formula would base funding on the how much the most successful districts spend per pupil on education.

Money for individual districts would be calculated through a formula including average daily attendance, average local minimum wage, and local funding already provided from property taxes.

One amendment passed by Republican Saint Louis County Senator Michael Gibbons changed the formula to add more state money to suburban school districts, like the one he represents.

Actuality:GIBBONS
RunTime: 18secs
OutCue: "...consideration as well."
Contents: "It's not taking money away from any other district or it's not limiting or hurting anyone else, it's just allowing those areas where typically the costs are greater, and, quite frankly, your property tax payers are shouldering more of the burden."

Missouri's school funding formula has not been changed since 1993.

Funding has traditionally been determined by allocating a percentage of tax dollars to each student.

Republican Senator and bill sponsor Charlie Shields says the new formula would be based more on student need.

From the state Capitol, I'm Tim Carnahan.

###TDC###

The Missouri school funding formula has not been changed since 1993. As Tim Carnahan reports from Jefferson City, debate over the changing how Missouri's more than 500 school districts get funded has sparked some local Legislative pride.

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OutCue: SOC

Instead of the fierce party fidelity characterizing most debate over the big-name bills passed this session, the debate over changing Missouri's school funding formula had Senators aligning with their regional constituents.

Under the plan, money for individual school districts would be calculated by a formula including average daily attendance, average local minimum wage, and local funding already provided by property taxes.

Saint Louis County Democrat Timothy Green says the use of property taxes to determine state school funding discriminates against districts assessed with higher property values.

Actuality:GRNFDTN
RunTime: 15secs
OutCue: "...are funded."
Contents: "If in a community you do not care to support your schools locally, why should I be treated unfairly because my people want to make sure their local school districts are funded?"

An amendment was passed by Republican Saint Louis County Senator Michael Gibbons that would add more money to districts with higher average minimum wage.

He says that change would not lower funding for any other district.

From the state Capitol, I'm Tim Carnahan.