School board may withdraw from lawsuit

Cape Girardeau's public schools could receive more than $3.86 million in added state funding over the next seven fiscal years combined.

That has Cape Girardeau School District officials looking at whether to withdraw from a lawsuit in which more than 200 school districts challenged the state's old funding formula on the grounds that it was inequitable and inadequate.

By the end of 2004, nearly all of Southeast Missouri's school districts had joined the legal battle over state funding in one way or another. The Cape Girardeau School District was part of a coalition of schools that didn't join the lawsuit as plaintiffs, but intervened in order to have input into the case.

The board of education will consider withdrawing from the lawsuit when it meets tonight.

The board will meet at 5:30 p.m. to set the annual property tax rate for the district. It's proposed to remain at its current level, $4.16 per $100 assessed valuation.

The regular board meeting will follow, starting at 6 p.m. at the district's administrative offices at 301 N. Clark Ave.

District superintendent Dr. David Scala said the decision as to the court case rests with the school board.

But he suggested the new formula should be given a chance to work rather than pursuing litigation.

Scala said the new formula, which will be phased in over seven years, should help. "It certainly is better than it has been," he said.

But he said the district won't be getting a financial windfall.

The district, he said, could receive an additional $418,000 next school year from the state.

But the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education estimates that state aid to the district could increase by $628,814 in the 2006-2007 school year.

The district currently gets about $6.4 million in basic state aid annually.

Urged on by Gov. Matt Blunt, state lawmakers this year approved a new funding formula designed to boost state spending on elementary and secondary education by nearly $1 billion over the next seven years.

But the new funding plan doesn't take effect until next July. School districts won't see any increased state aid until then, Cape Girardeau school administrators said.

"We do believe the legislature made a sincere effort to address the problems with the old formula," said Rob Huff, assistant superintendent.

"I was pretty amazed at how fast and how well they crafted it," Huff said.

The new formula would distribute state money based on student needs in a given district.

The new formula ensures that per pupil spending for each district will be at least $6,117 annually during the first two years. That minimum will be adjusted biennially. With local revenue, many districts will continue to spend more than the minimum.

The new formula, Huff said, is better because it provides added funding for districts with high numbers of low-income students as well as those with special-education needs and those with limited English proficiency.

It also folds some other state aid programs into the new funding formula, Huff said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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