State Lawmakers Approve Measure to Save Missouri’s Foundation Formula
As legislators and public servants, one of the most important jobs we have is protecting our state education system. Our children are literally our lifeline to the future, which is why it is imperative that our public school system always has the financial means to provide a quality education. Unfortunately, Missouri’s current public school funding formula has never been fully funded since its inception.
The foundation formula is good in structure, but within the past few years the gap between available monies and fully funding it has been growing at an alarming rate. And although we have been going down this unsustainable path for years, today, we find ourselves in a situation where the entire foundation formula is in jeopardy.
The foundation formula determines the amount of funding each school district in Missouri receives. It was originally designed to grow at a fair rate. But, because of the removal of the State Adequacy Target (SAT) cap in 2009, the formula has continued to grow at such a rate that we will never be able to fully fund it.
The move was based on projections of increased gambling revenue to the tune of $75 million a year for K-12 education. Regrettably, that revenue never materialized. In fact, ever since the Loss Limit repeal, gaming revenues have only decreased, and we have been fighting nothing but a losing battle. Yet despite all off this, I am confident that with one smart modification, we can save the foundation formula and give schools the assurance and predictability they need.
I am very proud to say that this week, the Missouri Legislature voted to send my Senate Bill 586 to the governor’s desk. Quite simply, the measure reestablishes the 5 percent operating expenses cap contained in the original formula bill. This one modification will not only save the foundation formula, but will also make fully funding it achievable in the near future.
I would like to highlight the fact that SB 586 has enormous bipartisan support in both houses, passing unanimously out of the Senate and with more than 70 percent approval in the House.
That being said, we fully expect for the governor to veto SB 586 on the grounds that full funding is somehow possible with the current formula. To that point I would say he has never once recommended sufficient enough of an increase to make full funding possible in the eight years he has been in office. At the end of the day, he must realize that without legislative action, the SAT will continue to increase, creating an estimated $560 million gap next year between the current budget and full funding. However, with the governor’s signature we can provide Missouri’s school districts with the consistency and reassurance they need in order to efficiently allocate their resources and effectively educate our students.
Preserving the foundation formula is especially critical for schools in southwest Missouri. If we are forced to redo the formula with the St. Louis and Kansas City School Districts in their present state, smaller school districts are going to be the ones that suffer. The 5 percent cap is a fair component that has already been tested and approved by the courts. Most importantly, it will allow us to provide our schools, teachers and students with the resources they need to be successful for the long haul.
If you have any questions or comments about this or any other matter regarding your state government, please feel free to contact me at (573) 751-1503; you are also welcome to e-mail me at jay.wasson@senate.mo.gov.
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