State public school funding formula falls short in county

A report released recently by the The Missouri Budget Project, a not-for-profit policy analysis organization, revealed there are funding shortfalls in public schools (K-12) in 106 of the 115 counties in the state.

The organization's report, "A Shaky Foundation: Missouri Underfunding the School Formula," said Missouri is underfunding kindergarten through 12th-grade state public schools by almost 20 percent below the required level. Funding for the foundation formula is $3.075 billion, so 35 percent of Missouri's general revenue fund is dedicated to K-12 education, the report said.

All seven school districts in Stoddard County are not receiving full funding, though the districts are not as underfunded as in some areas of the state. The largest shortfall in the county is in the Puxico School District at $870 per student. The second largest shortfall is in the Bernie School District at $844 per student while the Bloomfield School District has a $841 per student shortfall, according to the report. The Dexter School District has a shortfall of $810. The least shortfalls in the county were in the Bell City School District with $254 and Richland School District with $379.

Among the highest shortfalls in the Bootheel was the Chaffee School District with $898 per student, while Scott County Central came in at $892.

Other larger school district shortfalls included the Poplar Bluff School District with $843, Malden with $888, Kennett with $865 and Sikeston with $840 per student.

Critics of the Missouri Budget Project question the methodology used by project. The group is opposed to proposed broad-based tax cuts being considered by the legislature, and see the report as attempting to influence public opinion.

In their defense, the Missouri Budget Project outlines the way they arrived at their statistics as follows: Missouri's "foundation formula" was adopted by state lawmakers in 2005. Based on a per-student level of funding, the standard was meant to ensure that each school district in the state had adequate funding to meet educational standards, regardless of the district's ability to generate local revenue from property taxes and other sources.

The formula was designed to be implemented over a number of years and be fully operational by 2013. However, since 2010, due to a drop in revenue brought on by the Great Recession, funding for the formula has fallen below its required levels every year. Funding for the foundation formula is currently $3.075 billion, and 35 percent of Missouri's general revenue fund is dedicated to K-12 education.

Even still, funding for the formula in the current year is $656 million, or about 17 percent, below its required level (2013-2014 School Year, State Fiscal Year 2014).

Working with the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, the Missouri Budget Project applied the precise foundation formula requirements to each of Missouri's 520 school districts and then compared that intended level of funding with actual current funding.

Missouri Budget Project director of communications Traci Gleason said current tax cut and budget discussions have been centered in broad terms, leaving out what it means to the community.

"We are truly failing our children. We're undermining our state's economic development and our future," Amy Blouin, founder and executive director of The Missouri Budget Project, said in a conference call Wednesday.

While there are tax cut proposals "floating" around the legislature, some have triggers intended to protect education, Blouin said. But the data shows those triggers won't effectively protect education funding, let alone other services, she said. She said there are no mechanisms in those triggers to fully fund education permanently.

Rep. Donna Lichtenegger, R-Cape Girardeau, said those triggers would protect education funding.

As far as where things are in the budget process, Lichtenegger said House Budget Committee chairman Rick Stream will present his budget to the House floor for a vote next week. If it passes, it heads to the Senate. Lichtenegger said the state House and Senate would then meet in conferences and work out differences.

As far as where things are in the budget process, Lichtenegger said House Budget Committee chairman Rick Stream will present his budget to the House floor for a vote next week. If it passes, it heads to the Senate. Lichtenegger said the state House and Senate would then meet in conferences and work out differences.

Although she didn't have a hard amount because nothing has passed yet, Lichtenegger said there isn't enough money to fund K-12 education at the level Gov. Jay Nixon wants. "And we have to have a balanced budget," she said.

Bloomfield School District Superintendent Toni Hill said the district is being funded at 93 percent of the amount called for by the foundation formula.

"We are always very conservative when budgeting revenue," said Hill. "The district does not have enough reserve in our account balances to make up for any shortfall."

Hill said the foundation formula has not been fully funded in several years, so she questions across the board tax cuts. Like many other administrators in the state, she voiced her concern last year and continues to be concerned about cutting taxes when the state cannot meet its current obligation to public education.

Southeast Missourian Reporter Ruth Campbell contributed to this report.