BE OUR GUEST

Robert Bartman is the Missouri Commissioner of Education.

Both our quality of life and economic prosperity are integrally entwined with the quality of our schools. We are beginning to realize that our students' performance level, which has served us well throughout the 20th century, must be raised significantly if we as a state and nation are going to sustain our current quality of life or improve it.

Unfortunately, during these critical years when we should be strengthening our schools to meet the demands of the 21st century, many districts are retrenching cutting staff, eliminating important programs and coming precariously close to insolvency. Financial deficits in districts across our state translate into educational deficits, which if unabated could stalk Missouri citizens well into the future. We are in more immediate danger of "pulling the plug" on the educational reform and improvements in progress and of losing gains made in recent years.

Proposition B offers the voters of our state an option. The estimated $190 million that would be generated for elementary and secondary education will sustain our momentum toward educational improvement and help return "ailing" districts to a state of fiscal health. In addition, Proposition B would provide specific resources to encourage reduced class size, to support parental involvement in education, to improve vocational training to help stem student dropouts and to encourage innovation in the classroom.

Funds generated by Proposition B would support valuable programs like the highly successful Parents as Teachers program and the Incentives for School Excellence grant program.

Proposition B is a balanced package and offers the citizens of our state a clear choice. We can invest in our future and capture a greater vision for all Missourians, or we can allow the bleak financial conditions of our schools to dictate greater educational deficits. Passage of Proposition B is essential for Missouri to maintain an adequate level of educational services in our public schools and to maintain the financial health of local schools.