SCHOOL AMENDMENTS MAKE GOOD SENSE

April will be a busy time at the ballot box for Missouri's public schools.

Nearly every public school district in the state will have elections for local board members. In addition, three amendments to the Missouri Constitution are on the ballot, all relating to public schools.

The amendments should make setting tax rates and borrowing money easier for public schools. All three are proposals that voters should consider favorably.

One amendment would allow local districts to approve tax levies up to $6 with a simple majority of the district's voters. The state's Constitution currently requires a two-thirds majority vote to set operating levies of more than $3.75 per $100 assessed valuation.

A simple majority in this case means local voters would still have the final say over any tax increase. And that's as it should be: local control. The concern is that district's unable to muster a two-thirds majority to operate at a level that meets state standards might soon come under some form of mandated taxation set by the state.

As it stands now, it takes two supporters to cancel out every negative vote. Many districts simply cannot pass any proposal with these steep odds.

The proposal would also allow school boards to set a tax rate of $2.75 without a vote. That tax ceiling is currently at $1.25, which is unrealistic mainly because districts must have a operating tax rate of $2.75 to receive full state aid. Making it easier for local boards to set a $2.75 tax levy ensures local taxpayers shoulder a fair share of public education costs.

Another amendment would increase the percentage of money a district could borrow based on its assessed valuation. Currently, the lid is 10 percent, but the amendment would increase that to 15 percent.

This change would be especially beneficial to fast-growing school districts that must build to relieve bulging facilities.

The third constitutional amendment is aimed directly at the Kansas City School District. Currently, the tax levy there -- $4.96 -- was mandated by the federal court judge overseeing the district's desegregation case. The amendment would allow the district to remain at that rate once the district is no longer operating under court control.

The state has poured millions of dollars into the Kansas City schools in the failed desegregation effort. Now that the court plan is coming to an end, that state funding is slowly but surely being reduced. It's important that Kansas City residents pay their fair share, or the state will once again be called upon to subsidize these gold-plated schools.

These proposals give local school boards a little more flexibility in making changes for the better. All three are worthy of voter approval on April 7.