STATE EDUCATION BOARD SHOULD NOT FOREGO DUTY

The State Board of Education, up to its eyeballs in school funding difficulties, spoke to the problems last week through an unusual action: throwing in the towel. The seven-member board indicated it would no longer attempt to write a formula for the distribution of money to Missouri school districts, opting instead to leave the task to the Missouri General Assembly. We disagree with the board's conclusion.

Without question, these are tough times for Missouri elementary and secondary schools, as well as for the people trying to chart their fiscal survival. The state is being sued by dozens of school districts that claim the so-called foundation formula, the source by which Missouri distributes public education funding, is inequitable. The failure of Proposition B at the polls this month short-circuited a chance for infusing more money into the system. Some school districts are operating on the edge on insolvency, while others are trimming their budgets to the point of disturbing academic offerings. This comes at a time, too, when the cry is great for higher school achievements and outcomes.

Within this context, the role of the State Board of Education should be greater than ever. Frustrated, however, that their funding recommendations to the General Assembly died during the last two legislative sessions, board members decided to wash their hands of the chore. Instead of specific proposals, the board elected to send guidelines calling for the funding formula to be less complicated, to provide a minimum level of support and to insure no school gets less money per pupil.

Many state officials invested a lot of political capital in Proposition B. In light of the landslide that crushed this ballot offering, the members of the legislature must feel they dramatically misread the desires of their constituents. What those lawmakers should be crying out for now is some direction on how to proceed on keeping Missouri schools afloat, and then moving them to a point where they can excel. We believe the State Board of Education has a vital role to play in steering the legislature to solid decisions, and that role should not be abdicated.

We encourage the State Board of Education members to get back in the game. Education is their business and they can be a great tool for the legislature. We likewise urge the General Assembly to give due consideration to their suggestions. If Missouri's educational system is to emerge from the financial hole in which it now resides, the last thing an essential board should do is forego responsibility.