TALENT, HOLDEN GIVE PLANS ON SCHOOLS

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Talent says his "classroom trust fund" plan would provide $742,995 a year in added funding for the Cape Girardeau School District.

Talent, who met with school officials Monday in the Cape Girardeau Central High School library, said his plan would provide increased state funding to "hold harmless" school districts like Cape Girardeau for the first time since adoption of the Outstanding Schools Act in 1993.

Talent and state Treasurer Bob Holden, the likely Democratic candidate for governor, toured the state Monday touting their education plans. Both said they intend to spend more money for education, but they would go about it in different ways.

Under the foundation formula, funding isn't reduced to schools designated hold harmless, but neither do they get any additional funding from the formula, including funds generated from gambling revenue.

The number of hold harmless districts has increased steadily from eight districts in 1993 to 66 districts today, Talent said. Those districts educate 217,758 students.

"Right now nearly one-fourth of our students are not receiving much-needed education funding," said Talent.

Talent, a congressman from the St. Louis area, wants the Missouri Legislature to create a classroom trust fund to ensure revenue from Missouri casinos would be used to supplement rather than replace spending for education. Under the plan, schools around the state would receive an additional $165 a student. The money would come from the state's gambling revenue and general revenue through a five-year, phase-in process.

Talent said his trust fund would establish a responsible and easy-to-understand accounting system, send more dollars directly to the schools and allow for increased local control over how education money is spent.

Dr. Dan Steska, Cape Girardeau schools superintendent, welcomed Talent's funding plan.

"It would have a significant impact on the welfare of students in the Cape Girardeau public schools," he said after Talent's talk.

Steska said the added funding could reduce the district's need for an increase in the operating tax levy and could help pay for teachers' raises.

Currently, both gambling proceeds and general revenue enter the state's foundation formula, the law that divvies up money to the state's public schools.

Talent said that "co-mingling" makes it unclear whether the gambling money is increasing school funding or merely replacing it.

The plan backed by Talent was offered last year by Rep. Jewell Patek, R-Chillicothe. The House approved the measure before it died in the Senate. Similar proposals are under consideration in the Legislature this year.

Holden has said he supports ensuring that all gambling proceeds go to education.

Holden said Talent's plan "undermines support for public education" by removing the gambling money from the budget process and the foundation formula.

Holden was visiting West Elementary School in Jefferson City, where his son Robert attends fourth grade, to talk about his education proposals before a sea of 320 chattering children.

Holden said one of his priorities would be financial incentives for teachers to become nationally certified.

Under his plan, teachers who have the certification would get a $5,000-a-year salary increase. If they agree to mentor other teachers, they would get an additional 10 percent pay raise.

The goal, Holden said, would be to get 1,000 nationally certified teachers at a cost of about $5 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.