More money -- but don't plan to spend it

Uncertainty in state funding for local school districts has local officials at Jackson and other districts doing some careful planning these days.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education officials in Jefferson City have warned local officials to be careful in counting on state funds, what with uncertainties in the flow of state revenue these days.

DESE officials felt constrained to issue the warnings, even though the General Assembly included an additional $134 million increase in the existing $2.5 billion in foundation formula funding already flowing to local districts.

In the case of Jackson, the district has added eight new teachers in each of the last four years. It wanted to add 10 to 15 more this year, according to superintendent Ron Anderson.

This would have allowed the district to reduce class sizes, but instead it will be able to add only one or two more teachers.

This is an unusual year for government spending. Forecasts for tax revenue still remain unclear, so it is probably prudent for state officials to send out caution messages to recipients of state funding: Don't count on everything in the budget.

But here is a case where Gov. Bob Holden has sought -- and received -- a lot of publicity and attention for adding more than $130 million for public education at the same time schools are having to make decisions as if the extra funding had never been appropriated.