 The
Classroom Trust Fund
A campaign promise that will ‘blow a hole in the foundation
formula’
As I contemplate what “New Year” message I want to
share with you, my mind is still on the results of the November
elections and how those results will affect education in the months
to come. Since the Missouri General Assembly convenes in January,
I will focus on a campaign promise made by most members of the new
majority in the Missouri House of Representatives.
The new Speaker of the House is Catherine Hanaway. Rep. Hanaway,
and most other Republicans, campaigned on an issue called the Classroom
Trust Fund. You need a primer on this topic because of the effect
it and related legislation may have on you, your students and your
school.
The Classroom Trust Fund is a fairly simple idea. Take all of the
gambling revenue out of the state’s general fund, and distribute
it on a per-pupil basis to schools throughout the state. When this
idea was presented in the 2002 legislature, the gambling revenue
generated about $213 per pupil. Every school district would receive
this money regardless of local wealth or student needs. This idea
may have some appeal, especially if you are in a hold-harmless school
district.
If you think this sounds too good to be true, you are correct.
When the gambling money is taken out of the state’s general
revenue, a huge hole remains. The question everyone should be asking
is this: “How will Missouri replace the gambling money in
the general revenue?” I know that Rep. Hanaway and many others
campaigned on providing the Classroom Trust Fund and full funding
of the school foundation formula.
Well, it doesn’t look as if the economy will suddenly turn
around and provide huge amounts of revenue. I didn’t hear
these same politicians campaign to raise taxes to provide state
services. Unless Rep. Hanaway decimates many other state services
to provide money for the formula, the Classroom Trust Fund will
blow a hole in the foundation formula.
The foundation formula was crafted to distribute money to school
districts in an equitable fashion, factoring in poverty, student
needs, school district challenges and the local tax effort. It’s
not perfect, but it’s the best system we have for equitably
distributing state dollars to schools. To fund the Classroom Trust
Fund without fully funding the foundation formula would turn equity
on its ear.
Missouri was one of the few states that substantially increased
funding for schools
in 2002-2003. Even though Governor Bob Holden and the legislature
were able to increase state funding of the foundation formula for
the current year, the poor economy blocked full funding. It does
not make sense that less than a year later we would be able to fund
the foundation formula fully and provide extra funding for the Classroom
Trust Fund.
Missouri NEA will reach out to Rep. Hanaway and the new majority
in the House of Representatives to find real solutions for providing
adequate and equitable funding for Missouri’s schools. Our
solutions must meet the needs of all school districts, including
hold-harmless districts, and maintain equity. I will be calling
on you to help us in this effort.
By Greg Jung
Missouri NEA President
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