Bob Foos
Superintendent Brenten Byrd and Webb City R-7 School Board members are asking for help in defending funding public education at the Missouri Capitol.
During a legislative advocacy meeting before school started on Friday morning, Byrd cited several bills being considered by Missouri legislators that could have a major impact on district revenue.
There is concern that increasing the MO Scholars Voucher program for private schools from $50 million to $60 million would be a further blow to money available to public schools. Byrd says the district is already receiving $256,500 less that went to private education.
But the worst outlook is what would happen if a major property tax overhaul that’s in committee would decrease funds received from property and personal taxes.
Byrd said passage of those bills could require the district to close a building and eliminate teaching positions.
Eliminating income tax is another plan being discussed.
But as former superintendent Tony Rossetti, now with the Southwest Center for Educational Excellence, said, everybody’s for cutting taxes, but there’s no solution for how to replace all of the revenue that would be lost.
Future budget shortfalls would likely mean further underfunding of the foundation formula, which is the primary source of funds for general school operations.
There are also reservations about the movement to assign a letter grade to each school based on test scores – and if test scores are good, whether districts show proficiency improvements.
Byrd and the board are also leery of the effects open enrollment would have on the district.
For anyone planning on contacting their legislators, Byrd says it’s not necessary know specifics. The main thing is to ask them to support funding for public education.
Lawmakers who represent this area are expected to be here to discuss public education funding and other matters before them on Friday, March 27, for the Eggs and Issues Legislative Forum. It will be held at 10:45 a.m. at OHC Nexus Event Center, 105 S. Main St., Webb City. $20 tickets can be purchased online now.