More funding, less fight

State funding for public education has always been a complicated matter. A process that determines how much each school district will receive from the state -- called the school foundation formula -- is so complex that even the legislators who fund it and make changes in it are often hard-pressed to give a clear explanation of how it really works.

There were major changes in the formula in the early 1990s when taxes were increased to pour more money into public schools. At that time, the Cape Girardeau School District became what is called a "hold harmless" district, one that was receiving too much state funding under the new formula but one that would not have its funding decreased. But neither have many hold harmless districts seen any increases in state funding in all those years.

Like many other complicated processes, the school funding formula got out of whack as its many variables changed in ways unforeseen by the legislators of a dozen years ago. More than 300 school districts went to court claiming the formula had become inequitable and inadequate. The Cape Girardeau district intervened in the lawsuit.

In the last legislative session, the formula was rewritten in an attempt to address the issues raised in the lawsuit, which is still pending. Under the new formula, the Cape Girardeau district will once again see annual increases in state funding -- an estimated $3.86 million over the next seven years. Because the school board felt the legislature had accomplished what the plaintiffs in the lawsuit sought, it decided last month to withdraw from the legal action.

That seems like a sensible response to current circumstances that reflect an earnest effort on the part of the legislature to update the school funding formula. But more than 200 districts remain involved in the lawsuit. Given the legislative action and the increased spending planned for public education, perhaps this would be the time to end the lawsuit and spend those dollars on students instead of lawyers.