Columbia Public Schools weighing how to spend $9 million from Ameren settlement
Mitchell Kaminski
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia Public Schools is considering how to use a one-time $9 million payment it received from Boone County after a property-tax settlement with Ameren Missouri.
Boone County Commissioner Kip Kendrick said the county reached a resolution earlier this year in a long-running dispute before the Missouri State Tax Commission. The agreement resolved litigation over property taxes owed by Ameren from 2019-24, releasing impounded funds that were distributed to local taxing entities, including the school district.
“The distribution was of impounded property taxes dating from 2019-2024, and was a one-time special distribution made in August,” Kendrick told ABC 17 News in an email. “There is an agreed-upon methodology where these funds will not be impounded in future years.”
The settlement funds were distributed in the same manner as regular property tax payments. Columbia Public Schools officials said it is still in the early stages of deciding how to spend the money.
During a Finance Committee meeting on Oct. 7, district administrators presented preliminary ideas for the one-time funds, focusing on facility improvements, safety and instructional support.
During the meeting, officials emphasized that the money will be used for one-time needs rather than ongoing expenses, given its unique nature.
“These are only preliminary options provided by district administrators and have not been synthesized or prioritized to date,” Heather McArthur, Chief Financial Officer for CPS, told ABC 17 News in an email. “We plan to have additional discussions at finance committee in the upcoming months and any final decisions would be made during the budget process next spring.”
Among the potential projects discussed were:
Upgrading walkie-talkies and radio systems;
Repair water fountains and high school bathrooms;
Replacing turf fields and scoreboards;
Upgrading classroom furniture; and
Addressing deferred maintenance projects.
District officials are now working on gathering estimates to determine the next steps.
The finance committee also discussed looking into the district’s behavior support programs.
“We hear so much about how behaviors are affecting classroom learning. They’re affecting teacher retention. And honestly, they’re affecting, in my opinion, how we are perceived by the community when behaviors go awry,” Columbia Board of Education Member Suzette Water said during the Oct. 7 meeting. “I feel like that’s something that needs our attention. My question about that is, it’s not a new problem. And by investing more money in the same types of mitigation strategies or resolutions we’ve attempted in the past, are we going to be fixing anything? Or do we need to invest in a little bit more of like systemic once-and-for-all approach that’s going to be district-wide?”
Waters also pointed out the district’s current instructional mentors are spread thin between multiple buildings. However, the district wants to look into possible solutions further before throwing more money at the problem.