JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- Some lawmakers are suggesting Missouri reject a $189 million federal payment for schools. Others want to accept it, but don't want to spend it the way Gov. Jay Nixon has proposed.
The school funding issue intensified Thursday at the Capitol as lawmakers tried to figure out how Nixon's plan would affect their local districts.
Nixon wants to give schools the influx of federal money this year, then cut their funding the following school year. He wants schools to balance out the cut by carrying over money from this year into the 2011-2012 school year.
Two Republican senators said Thursday that Missouri should turn down the federal money because they feel that federal money would only delay cuts for the future.
Sen. Jim Lembke, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the extra education aid to states is contributing to the federal deficit and should be rejected as a matter of principle.
Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, said Missouri has relied on too many one-time patches for its budget and accepting the federal money would only delay cuts that would have to be made when the federal money is used up.
Republican House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan Silvey wants to accept it. But he favors a flat funding model instead of Nixon's increase and decrease.
Schools were budgeted to get about $3 billion in basic aid this year. They would be due an increase of about $233 million next year if Missouri were to provide the full amount called for by its funding formula.
What do you think, should Missouri accept the federal funding or reject it?
(Associated Press Contributed)
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