Legislature takes schools seriously

By Peter Kinder

Education continues to be a primary topic in this year's legislative session. Three key areas of this discussion are funding, improving Missouri's schools and finding new ways to assist Missouri's teachers.

Our state's constitution puts education funding at the top of the priority list, second only to the paying of public debts. House and Senate members care deeply about this funding commitment, with most legislators realizing that properly investing in the education of children pays incalculable dividends in the form of prepared, energized and motivated new employees, employers and leaders.

This year's appropriation for secondary and elementary education came to $4.5 billion, which equates to more than 23 percent of the total fiscal year 2004 operating budget. But while the legislative branch can develop the budget and set appropriations, the executive branch is left to carry through on the funding commitments. Not long after the current budget went into effect last July, the governor saw fit to withhold $200 million in school funding.

Despite observations that state revenue is coming on stronger than in years past -- observations noted even by administration members -- the governor continues to withhold $118 million of this nearly quarter of a billion dollars (an act of obstruction quickly triggering a now-pending lawsuit against the governor's office.) Conventional wisdom has the governor releasing this money after voters are nearly forced into approving higher school tax levies in the coming April elections.

The questions must be asked: Why did the governor not withhold these dollars from other state agencies? Why did he burden Missouri's elementary and secondary schools with 89 percent of his withholdings?

The legislature is poised to maintain school funding in the fiscal year 2005 budget at the same level lawmakers appropriated in the current budget. Factor in the governor's remaining $118 million withholding dollars, and schools will actually stand to receive more funding than they've been able to get this year.

While adequacy of education funding is an important factor in the education debate, we strongly believe that money alone is not the answer to making Missouri's schools some of the best in the country. Lack of accountability, burdensome and expensive regulations causing the waste of resources and funding the wrong priorities, huge compensation packages for administrators, and non-collection of local property taxes are all contributing factors to the adequacy of education funding.

Education will not improve just by throwing more money at it. Over the past five years, statewide enrollment of elementary and secondary students has remained virtually the same (actually declining by 20 students). However, during that same period of time, state funding for elementary and secondary education increased by over $2 billion dollars.

We must improve Missouri's schools by identifying and reducing unnecessary state and federal regulations that cause local schools to spend dollars on the wrong priorities. We must then ensure that those dollars go to teachers and classrooms instead of bureaucrats and administrative budgets. We must also reinforce local control of schools and demand greater accountability by state and local administrators.

The third key to improving education is finding new, innovative and practical ways to assist teachers in the classroom. One bill this session offers tax credits to the legion of Missouri teachers who are spending from their own sparse salaries to buy school supplies. We also need to identify ideas that give greater decision making to classroom teachers, allowing them greater flexibility, innovation and freedom to improve teaching and the quality of a classroom education. A review of classroom liability and discipline issues facing teachers is also needed. Missouri's future can be as bright as most are willing to build it or as dark as a select few are willing to erode it.

We in the Missouri Senate see a bright future for education, but only if built on the balanced foundation of funding, improving schools and assisting our classroom teachers.

Peter Kinder is president pro tem of the Missouri Senate.