CAPE, JACKSON SCHOOL OFFICIALS CITE NEW NEED FOR TAX-LEVY HIKES

Cape Girardeau and Jackson school officials said planned cuts in state education funding intensify the need for tax-levy proposals to be considered by voters next month.

The state Board of Education agreed Thursday to withhold $11 million from its $2.4 billion budget as part of a statewide effort requested by Gov. Bob Holden to ease an anticipated budget shortfall.

The state school board's planned reduction includes $3 million in internal operating expenses and an additional $8 million to be absorbed by the state's 524 school districts.

"Anything that's not funded by the state has to be made up with local dollars," said Cape Girardeau schools superintendent Dan Steska. "It's another case where the local funding has to fill the gap left by the state. It's one more point of necessity."

Both Cape Girardeau and Jackson school districts are asking voters to increase funding for operating expenses at elections Aug. 7. The proposals require simple majorities for passage.

Jackson voters will consider waiving a partial tax-levy rollback they received from the Proposition C half-cent sales tax for education and increasing their overall tax levy to $3.10 per $100 assessed valuation. The measure, which requires a 25-cent tax hike, would provide additional funding to cover increased operating costs for utilities and transportation, and to purchase new textbooks and books for school libraries.

Cape Girardeau voters will be asked to approve a 58-cent tax increase to provide funds for increased operating costs, more competitive staff salaries and classroom equipment and supplies. If approved, the operating tax levy would be set at $3.99 per $100 assessed valuation, up from the $3.41 tax levy voters have paid over the past five years.

Department of education spokesman Jim Morris said the foundation formula, used to deliver the bulk of state aid to schools based on local tax bases, student poverty and other factors, won't be touched under the budget reduction plan.

Selective cutting

However, transportation aid, gifted education and the Parents As Teachers early childhood program are among those that will be cut.

Steska said Cape Girardeau schools already depend on local taxes for the bulk of their funding.

The district already walks a financial tightrope to keep its budget in line, and any changes would make it harder to maintain balance, he said.

"We have K-through-12th-grade gifted programs, and we're meeting the statewide quota on the number of students who can be served," said Steska. "We don't anticipate cutting that, but there is a concern that the program is not sufficiently funded."

Jackson schools could be among the worst hit by the planned $3.2 million cuts in transportation aid.

The district, which is one of the state's largest geographically, has about 59 buses that cover 2,000 miles of routes daily. Jackson school buses travel almost 500,000 miles annually.

Jackson schools superintendent Ron Anderson said about $643,000 has been budgeted for transportation costs this year.

Anderson said the planned cuts will make it more critical that voters approve the tax increase to keep the district's budget in the black.

"I think what we're most concerned about is the trend, because the information we've received is it's a start, and there could be more to come depending on what happens to the state economy and legislative session," he said.

Morris said the reductions approved this week are only tentative and could be changed in the near future. The agreement must be approved by the State Budget Office and then forwarded to the governor for approval.

"I know this is discomforting for school districts because they would like to know for sure," Morris said. "The operative thing here is to try and limit the negative impact in basic aid, which is where all school districts get the bulk of state money for teachers salaries, instructional budgets and the like.".

Key educational cuts

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will reduce its budget by $11 million for the coming year. Some key areas affected by the reductions include:

* $3.2 million, transportation aid

* $1.7 million, new technology grants

* $1.3 million, A+ school grants

* $816,000, Parents as Teachers

* $740,000, gifted education programs

* $424,000, Safe Schools grants

* $232,000, Caring Communities

* $113,600, scholars, fine arts academies