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Mitchell Kaminski
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Less than two decades after its last major revision, Missouri’s public school funding formula is headed for a rewrite.
A newly created 16-member Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force appointed by Gov. Mike Kehoe is set to begin the process of modernizing the state’s K-12 foundation formula, which has drawn criticism from lawmakers, educators, and charter advocates alike for being outdated and inequitable.
Missouri’s school funding formula was last significantly updated in 2005, following earlier versions established in the mid-1970s and revised in the early 1990s.
“If you look at property tax values in 2006 and you go into property tax values today, they’re not anywhere comparable. There have been a lot of changes that have happened,†Rep. Ed Lewis (R-Moberly), one of four lawmakers appointed to the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force, told ABC 17 News. “Out of the 500 and some schools that we have in the state, 500 plus, between a half and two-thirds of them are not truly on formula because of being overrun with large districts. And so it’s time for a rewrite.â€
The current formula is designed to reflect what is considered necessary or adequate to provide a quality education. To determine that amount, the state analyzed spending levels in high-performing districts that met state academic expectations.
The task force, established by Executive Order 25-14, will evaluate and recommend updates to the state’s foundational funding structure. Lewis says the task force will hold it’s first meeting on June 2nd, beginning an 18-month process. A final report is due to the governor by December 1, 2026.
Charter Advocates Call for Long-Term, Student-Focused Solutions
Among those appointed is Noah Devine, executive director of the Missouri Charter Public School Association. Devine, who grew up in Columbia and graduated from Hickman High School, has spent the bulk of his professional career working in education in Missouri.
Devine said that before legislative action in 2022, the state’s funding model left charter schools underfunded compared to their traditional counterparts.
“The state of Missouri, through the state aid, was actually paying charter schools sort of in an indirect manner to basically make up the difference from the local aid that traditionally comes to your any local district,†Devine said. “Up until 2022, those actually accidentally shortchanged charter schools by give or take between a thousand to 15 hundred bucks, a kid, which at a classroom level is a lot of money. In 2022, though, the state legislature fixed that.â€
Today, he believes charter schools are on equal footing in terms of funding.
“Right now, today charter public schools are funded equitably or equivalently to the traditional district schools in the districts in which they reside, which is all I would ever ask for. We believe you fund the kid,†Devine said.
Devine emphasized the need for a long-term solution.
“We simply need to modernize the formula. What I would argue my position is going to be not for today, not for 2025, but so that it lasts until 2050. I probably will outlast my lifetime. We need a formula that is able to do that and also provide our schools, our teachers, our educators, the resources that they need to meet Missouri’s great families and great students,†Devine explained.
He added that despite differences in individual student needs, the focus must remain on student-centered funding. “We believe that at the end of the day, a child is a child is a child. A five-year-old, here is a five-year-old, there is a five-year-old, you know, in Columbia, which, when I see that we believe that you fund the student,†Devine said. “Now, of course, there are differences. You have a student who has special needs. That might be additional funding, as is the case in Missouri. You have a student who is potentially low-income, that is also a different weight, but generally speaking, a student is a student.â€
Devine acknowledged that updating the formula won’t be easy, citing three major hurdles.
“One major challenge is change is very hard. It’s just hard. You have something you’ve been doing for 20 years and it will be very hard to change it,†Devine said. “ I hope we can surface out of these discussions what states are doing great things on funding, making sure money follows the student, and making sure money gets to the classroom.â€
He outlined two additional obstacles: finite funding and the need for accountability.
“To look at the funding formula, to truly look at it, it’s going to be very challenging if we’re only talking about a world where we have the same pot of money or potentially even less because it’s going to result in discussions about value propositions around, well, how much money should go to certain kids and how does it impact a district and how does it impact a charter,†he said. “So a really difficult discussion to have when you’re working with finite resources, but you really are with tax dollars.â€
Devine also believes that recent funding boosts haven’t necessarily translated into improved outcomes.
“Even with the inflow of cash that we have had at the state and the federal level, I think it is reasonable to suspect that we need to be judicious with our monies. And to be fair, we’re not where we need to be as a state academically,†Devine said. “Sometimes, as the Show Me State, I think we have a tendency to enact incremental change. This is not a time for incremental change.â€
Gov. Kehoe emphasized the need for a formula that reflects the state’s evolving educational needs.
“We must rethink how we fund Missouri’s foundation formula,†Kehoe said in a release. “We need a modernized funding model that rewards outcomes, encourages innovation, and ensures fairness for all Missouri students.â€
Who Is Joining The Task Force?
Senator Rusty Black (R-Chillicothe), a former educator and chair of the task force, said his focus is ensuring that every dollar has an impact.
“As a former educator, I know firsthand the challenges our teachers face and the importance of ensuring that every dollar we invest in education has a meaningful impact,†Black said in the release. “I’m honored to help lead this important work as we build a funding model that supports student success in every corner of Missouri.â€
The other two members of the General Assembly appointed alongside Lewis and Black are Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R- Callaway County) and Rep. Marlene Terry (D- St.Louis).
The task force includes educators, economists, business leaders, and nonprofit representatives. Over the next 18 months, they are expected to review data, explore best practices from other states, and conduct stakeholder engagement before submitting recommendations.
Members of the task force joining Devine include:
Matt Davis, of Eldon, who will represent superintendents from small rural school districts. Davis has more than 25 years of experience in Missouri’s public education system, including 17 years as superintendent of the Eldon School District. He previously led career and technical education programs and worked to secure grant funding for the Eldon Career Center.
Emily LeRoy, of Hermann, was appointed as an at-large member. She serves as a senior advisor at the Missouri Farm Bureau and previously worked at the Missouri Department of Agriculture, where she rose to the role of legislative and budget director.
James “Jim†Meats, of Springfield, will represent the business community. He is vice president of sales and marketing at Loren Cook Company and is a licensed professional engineer. Meats has also worked as a technical consultant for manufacturers and municipalities in southwest Missouri.
Mike Podgursky, of Columbia, will serve as an at-large appointee. He is a professor of economics at the University of Missouri–Columbia and an affiliated scholar with the Sinquefield Center for Applied Economic Research. Podgursky is a nationally recognized expert in school finance.
Don Thalhuber, of Columbia, will also serve as an at-large appointee. He is policy director for the Missouri Senate Minority Caucus and was a lead architect of Missouri’s current school funding formula, adopted in 2005.
Michael “Jeremy†Tucker, of Liberty, will represent superintendents from large urban districts. Tucker is the superintendent of Liberty Public Schools, where he oversees a $279 million budget. He has also worked as a college instructor and high school teacher.
Chris Vas, of Kansas City, will represent nonprofit organizations focused on expanding school choice. He is a senior director with the Herzog Foundation and previously served as executive director of Liberty Alliance USA.
Casey Wasser, of California, will represent the agriculture industry. He is the deputy executive director and COO of the Missouri Soybean Association and formerly served as legislative director for the Missouri Department of Revenue.
David Wood, of Versailles, will represent public school teachers. A former state legislator and teacher, Wood most recently served as a policy analyst for the Missouri State Tax Commission before retiring in 2023.
Two members of the Missouri State Board of Education will also join the task force: Kerry Casey, of Chesterfield, and Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, of Pasadena Hills.
Casey is a retired vice president of Exegy and a founding board member of the KIPP Charter School in St. Louis. Westbrooks-Hodge is a former board member of the Normandy Schools Collaborative and a retired general partner from Edward Jones, with prior roles at Express Scripts, Anheuser-Busch, and Bank of America.
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