Education leaders say cuts to education could take a toll on school districts
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
As COVID-19 continues to batter the state's revenue, the governor announced Monday that education would have to take another cut to make up for losses.
Parson announced he is restricting another $209 million in state spending during the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. Of that, $41 million is being taken from higher education and another $131 million will be restricted from K-12 education.
Those cuts will be felt at school districts across the state. Missouri Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven said the June payment to K-12 schools is being reduced by about 39 percent. Federal CARES Act funding will help with the K-12 shortfall but won't make up for the full loss, she said.
Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said the district planned for additional cuts to come down from the state level during the COVID-19 crisis. She said because of longterm planning, the district has a reserve fund in place in case finances get even tighter.
"We are not in a crisis situation but we are certainly being very thoughtful of how we prepare our budget moving forward," Baumstark said.
Baumstark said it's hard to predict exactly what will happen with funding during this unprecedented time.
"Education has always been one of those areas that has struggled to be fully funded," Baumstark said. "You couple that with the situation that we all find ourselves in now, certainly that can be a strain and a stress on school districts."
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will go over the cuts with CPS leaders Tuesday. After that, Baumstark said the district will have a clearer picture of the impact and where, if any, cuts will come from. The district's mandatory budget hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
Deputy Executive Director of the Missouri School Boards' Association said these cuts weren't a surprise given the dire financial situation the state is in, and believes that these might not be the last.
"We're urging our districts to be cautious in their budgeting and plan for the possibility that we could see some additional cuts in the next fiscal year," Ghan said.
He said the cuts could take a toll on school districts across the state, and many may have to dip into reserve funds.
"I think they will be able to cope with it, but not without some serious budget reductions," Ghan said.
With schools thinking about opening back up, Ghan said another concern is additional costs necessary to bring students back safely amid more cuts.
"On one hand, they are facing additional expenses, and on the other hand they may be facing declining revenues, so a really challenging situation for our school boards and superintendents," Ghan said.
