EDUCATORS: VOTE SENDS CLEAR MESSAGE

The overwhelming defeat of Proposition B Tuesday sends a message of mistrust to the legislature, say some local education officials.

Rebecca Cook, Cape Girardeau attorney and member of the state Board of Education, said, "Nobody trusts the legislature and the governor anymore.

"They feel they've been sold a bill of goods with the lottery and Proposition C and they aren't going to be fooled again. I heard that for months before the vote."

Oak Ridge Superintendent Roger Tatum said he, too, heard a message of voter distrust.

"I think there is a basic distrust of the political process and a basic distrust of the legislators," he said. "People asked, `Where's the lottery money that was promised for education. Proposition C passed and some money was actually taken away from education.'"

Jo Peukert, Cape Girardeau Community Teachers Association president, said, "I feel this was not a vote against education. I think it was a vote against the governor, who supports this measure and then gives us budget cuts. I think it was a vote against the legislature for not putting out clear, clean bills."

She added, "I think we're in for some tough times ahead larger classes, less aides, less equipment. We'll all have to face the budget crunch."

Peukert said the Missouri State Teachers Association has another proposal for increased funding for education. "I think we will still be looking at an opportunity for a 33 1/3 constitutional amendment."

The statewide teachers association has proposed an initiative petition to place on the ballot a constitution amendment. It would guarantee one-third of the state's general revenue would go to education. The proposal would not include a tax increase.

Cook said Proposition B will be discussed at the state board's next meeting, Nov. 21-22. At that meeting, provisions for dealing with bankrupt schools will likely be discussed.

Already three small school districts have gone bankrupt this year. The state education department predicts another 50 may be bankrupt by the end of the school year.

"The problem is we are going to have some large districts not able to keep their doors open. The children from a large district cannot be absorbed by small neighboring districts," Cook said.

"Our problem is that we are absolutely desperate for money for basic education," Cook said. "Any one of us could have picked at the legislation, but it was the only new money in town. I'm really disappointed we couldn't find a way to make this investment in our kids."

Cook said the proposed 33 1/3 initiative petition may also be discussed at the meeting.

"I'm hopeful that the legislature will support an initiative petition. The complaint has been that the legislature and governor have been taking money for education and using it elsewhere. This petition says, `If you won't do it yourself, we'll make you,'" she said.

"That shows that Missourians do care about their kids," Cook said.

On Wednesday, Tatum had little time to ponder Tuesday's defeat of Proposition B. The furnace in one of the school buildings went out and he was helping to get it up and running.

"We didn't know what Proposition B would do for us anyway," Tatum said. "But we saw some hope in it. Now the hope we see is in the lawsuits pending in the state."

Lawsuits have been filed against the state challenging the way Missouri distributes money to public schools.

In the meantime, Tatum said, his district has already cut half a staff position and scaled back all areas of the budget.

"Even with that, we are projected to deficit spend $25,000 in the teachers fund."

"If no more money is coming," Tatum said, "we will have some more cuts to make.

"We will have to cut academic programs, hopefully not enough to hurt our classification. And we will have to cut student activities. Those activities take money."