Transportation and teacher shortage at the top of CPS priorities

Columbia Public Schools is growing, and with that growth, more transportation and teachers are needed.

CPS Spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said transportation costs $12 million per year, but the state only pays $2 million of it

In efforts to ease the costs, CPS tried to partner will Columbia’s Public Transportation last year, but it did not pass through the legislature.

Representative Chuck Basye (R-Rocheport) said there was friction in the Senate in getting it passed.

“Almost got it through the Senate, but unfortunately, it had some friction with one of the senators, so we didn’t get that to the finish line,” Basye said.

Baumstark said the district is going back to the state next year to get the city partnership passed.

“It would definitely be help, provide us some flexibility, be able to maximize some of our existing resources, to be able to partner with the city and utilize some of those transportation systems as well,” Baumstark said.

Basye said he’s on board with the idea.

“I am going to reach out with the particular senator so I can sit down and visit with him and find out what he thinks I should do to make it more apeasable to him,” Basye said.

Baumstark said another major issue the district has is teacher shortage.

It was to ask for flexibility in teacher certification requirements because the state does not allow the system to hire teachers without state certifications.

“One of our areas that Columbia struggles with, as do school districts across Missouri and nationwide, is finding teachers in specialized areas. Thinking about foreign language and specialized electives,” Baumstark said.

Basye said there’s no plan to take that issue to legislators, but he might do so if needed.

The legislative session starts Jan. 9, 2019.