School districts around Kansas City know it’s possible, maybe even likely, that Missouri’s governor and lawmakers will choose to not fully fund public schools next year.
The state’s foundation formula, the calculation of how much money schools should receive, is enshrined in law. That doesn’t mean lawmakers always choose to provide the full formula amount, especially when money is tight. The most recent statewide school budget fell $190 million short.
Still, some local and statewide education leaders were caught off guard when the Missouri State Board of Education at its Sept. 15 meeting approved a budget request that didn’t even ask for the full amount required to fund the formula…