EDUCATION IN MISSOURI NEEDS PROPOSITION B

Proposition B is an imperfect plan that builds toward a perfect goal: the betterment of education in Missouri. The Nov. 5 ballot issue promises reform in schools and provides money to support the promise. We endorse Proposition B's passage.

As the election has grown near and Missourians have focused more intensely on this issue, some confusion has arisen about the numerous facets of the measure. Some confusion is understandable. If you have read the ballot language published in its entirety in previous editions of this newspaper, you will know Proposition B is a long, complex bill that speaks to a great many educational and revenue concerns. Each aspect of this bill can be dissected and weighed on its merits.

Ultimately, however, in answering the matter of how you will vote on this measure, the total package must be held up to these standards:

Will it create better education in Missouri?

Will students who move through this system have the chance to be productive at the level of those people educated in other states or nations?

If we are supporters of good schools and colleges, can we vote for this and feel reasonably satisfied that our vote will count toward this end?

We believe these standards have been met, and that is the reason for this endorsement.

A mere tax package would not be embraced by us or anyone else. The reforms sell this measure; under Proposition B, Missouri will pay more money and get more schooling. Mandated by this proposition are: smaller class sizes; expansion of the successful Parents As Teachers program; a degree of parental choice on where their children will attend public schools; greater school accountability; longer school years; vocational education improvements; enhanced programs and increased scholarships at universities, among other reforms.

The measure is similar in its potential outcome to Proposition A, the successful highway improvement tax of 1987 that clearly spelled out the projects that would be forthcoming with increased revenue. For the most part, the state delivered on Proposition A's promises. In this same manner, a clear program of educational improvements has been crafted. A "yes" vote will lead to that program being implemented.

For these reforms, the price seems right. A family of median income in Missouri would pay just 42 cents a month for this package. Increases would come in the corporate income tax, the sales tax and taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products. Dependent exemption would increase on income tax forms, and other deductions would be limited. The burden is spread around.

In examining this issue, we have looked for clues, red flags and other indications that might disclose the essence of this measure. One attention-getter is the unique political alliance that has formed to support Proposition B. Gov. John Ashcroft huddled with political opponents, Senate President Jim Mathewson and House Speaker Bob Griffin, to develop the legislation. They are promoting it in unison and have enlisted industrialists, business leaders, government officials, educators and other to spread the word; the alliance includes the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Missouri, the Missouri Farm Bureau, the Missouri Mental Health Commission, the Missouri State Teachers Association, and many others. Holding such a coalition together is inconceivable without a solidly constructed program, one that satisfies a specific need.

Does the measure have flaws? It is not an ideal measure. Sponsors admit it will not raise enough money to cure all of Missouri's educational ills. A great many schools in Missouri are on the brink of insolvency; this measure might help some, but not necessarily all. The taxpayers are being asked to vote on this bill without knowing how money will ultimately be distributed through a rewritten school foundation formula; the formula, however, will be rewritten even if this measure fails, only it will be done with less money. (The "hold harmless" provision of Proposition B ensures no school will get less money as a result of its passage.)

But none of these problems outweighs the benefits that can result from this measure. Cape Girardeau, in particular, as a hub of education for this region, stands to gain from a proposition that expresses so directly a message of school betterment. Southeast Missouri State University has spent recent years diligently enhancing its programs with limited participation by the state. The school has staggered along with insufficient funding for maintenance of facilities. With a positive vote, much of that can be made right.

Through the years, we have ignored the easy appeal of jumping on a bandwagon for more educational funding, resisting the argument that more money automatically translates into better schools. All along, we have said that public officials and educators should step forward and make their case that more of our tax dollars will result in a higher quality education for our young people. Proposition B addresses the challenge that has been set forth.

We endorse the passage of Proposition B on the Nov. 5 ballot.