State education board members unsure about Blunt's plan to boost spending

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Members of the state Board of Education said Monday they want to review details of Gov. Matt Blunt's push to require school districts spend at least 65 percent of their operating budgets on student instruction before taking a position on the idea.

Some education groups worry the definition of student instruction expenses leaves out critical elements, such as school buses and librarians.

Members of the state Board of Education said they agree with spending as much as possible on student learning.

"The board would be happy to deal with the issue when it gets better clarified," said board president Peter Herschend, a Republican from Branson. "Certainly if it can make a difference for Missouri's kids in the classroom, I'm sure this board would be supportive."

However, Herschend said it's too early to determine whether he favors the idea.

Earlier this month, Blunt visited several cities to tout the initiative, which is being promoted around the country by a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, First Class Education.

Under the proposal, instruction expenses covers not just teachers' salaries and textbooks but also activities such as music, drama and athletics. But it would not cover supportive services such as transportation, utilities, librarians or counselors.

"Anytime you codify something that specific, it tends not to stay current in time," said board member Tom Davis, a Democrat from Kansas City. "It may be too rigid.

"The goal of getting as much money as possible into classrooms, that's a good goal," Davis said. But the goal needs to be flexible enough to respond to schools' changing circumstances, he said.

Some also said local school boards should make spending decisions.

"I question it because I trust the judgment of the local boards and administrators more so than I do those in the Capitol," said board member Shirley Hindman, a Democrat from Harviell in Southeast Missouri. "Of course their first priority is instruction."

Sybl Slaughter, a Republican from Lebanon, agreed, saying: "My concern is that it takes away from local control."

Education Commissioner Kent King said his main concern is how classroom expenses are defined.

"We need to make sure they get the right things defined," he said. "There's a lot more that goes into education than a teacher in the classroom."

The definition of classroom expenses comes from the federal government. Its data shows Missouri schools are spending an average of 61 percent of taxpayer funding on instruction, in line with the national average.

Blunt said that using such criteria, just 112 of Missouri's 524 school districts currently would meet the standard. If passed by the legislature, the proposal would go to a statewide vote, likely next November.