Tagged: funding

Missouri’s top K-12 education official is giving lawmakers mixed grades on the just-completed legislative session.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation allowing the use of $189 million in federal education money to fill shortfalls in state funding.

Nixon signed the measure Monday at a high school in Linn, about a half-hour east of Jefferson City.

The federal money won't yield a net increase in the funding of local school districts. But it will help avoid a reduction in basic state aid to schools during this and future academic years.

The Missouri Senate has passed a funding plan for public schools as it begins debate on a $23 billion proposed budget.

• A Senate budget bill approved Wednesday would provide schools $3 billion in basic aid next year - the same amount as this year but an estimated $179 million less than called for under the school funding formula.

Legislators and Gov. Jay Nixon say the state cannot afford to pay schools the full amount they are due.