House, top Senate budgeter split on school funding

Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The top budgeter in the Missouri Senate on Wednesday proposed giving public K-12 schools $48 million more next fiscal year, which would mean about $50 million less than what House lawmakers approved.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Dan Brown during a committee hearing pitched taking the $50 million in savings and putting half toward school busing and transportation. He moved another $17 million of that to help nursing home services.

"Really the thing is, could you cut them $50 million and not affect their education and the quality of education?" St. Joseph Republican Sen. Rob Schaaf asked during the committee hearing. "And you're not making a cut, you're reducing the increase."

The spending plan still needs a vote of approval from the committee to move to the full Senate for consideration.

If passed, the change could set up a showdown with the House, which previously voted to give schools $98 million more in core funding compared to this fiscal year, which ends in June.

The Senate change met pushback from some senators. St. Louis Democratic Sen. Jamilah Nasheed said poor education funding has hurt efforts to build the state's skilled workforce. She pushed for more money for schools.

Any differences between the House and Senate budget proposals will be hashed out by a panel of negotiators. The budget then will need final votes of approval in the House and Senate before it can go to Greitens' desk.

While Greitens proposed cutting funding by $68 million compared to what public colleges and universities are expected to receive this year, Senate budgeters and the House appear to agree on steady core funding for higher education.

The House previously voted to maintain that funding and worked out a deal that most schools in exchange will not raise tuition more than 1 percent.

Brown had moved to set aside roughly $36.6 million of that to dole out to four-year colleges and universities if they meet certain graduation marks and other performance goals. But that proposal was met with a chilly reception in the committee, and Brown on Wednesday ditched it in favor of the House plan.