DESEG SAVINGS SHOULD BENEFIT TAXPAYERS

Savings.

The Missouri Legislature and taxpayers sure have a different connotation of that word.

The end of court-ordered desegregation will "save" the state millions of dollars. But legislators and urban educators want to funnel that money back into St. Louis and Kansas City schools.

Where's the savings in that?

Taxpayers are asking the logical question: Why doesn't the state just lower taxes to compensate?

Area educators are tired of seeing large sums of money skimmed off the top for urban schools. Most area schools spend between $3,000 and $5,000 on average for each pupil. The statewide average is $5,389.

In Missouri's urban districts, the numbers are considerably higher. In St. Louis, the per pupil expenditure was $7,244 in 1995-96. This year's numbers aren't yet available. It's even higher in Kansas City at a whopping $8,879 per student.

And now some legislators are considering tacking on another $1,000 per student in these districts to help "offset" the loss of desegregation dollars. Forget it.

Glitzy curriculums and gold-plated schools won't improve academic performance. If it did, St. Louis and Kansas City urban students should have the highest test scores in the state. Needless to say, they don't.

Two thumbs up to Jackson Superintendent Howard Jones and Cape Girardeau Superintendent Dan Tallent. Both recently spoke out against some of the recommendations of the legislative committee charged with developing the "equitable" spending for desegregation savings.

They like the idea of dedicating the revenue to education and earmarking more to such costs as transportation and gifted programs.

But they say adding another $1,000 per pupil for urban schools is unfair.

Socio-economic factors can certainly affect student performance, but poor students are not limited to Missouri's urban areas. Report after report lists the poorest areas of the state in Southeast Missouri. Will these schools also receive the extra $1,000 in state dollars per pupil?

With the end of court-ordered desegregation, Missouri will once again gain control of all of its schools and educational spending. With that control should return some common sense.

Let's spend the money where the money is needed. And if all the deseg "savings" isn't needed, then return some of it to grateful taxpayers so they can deposit it in their savings accounts.