By Janine Davis Record Staff Writer The Wright City R-II School Board took a stand on several bills that provide tax breaks passing a resolution last week calling attention to the potential impact on school funding. The resolution, which passed 5-0 during the July 17 board meeting, urges the General Assembly to sustain Gov. Jay Nixon’s vetoes of special interest tax break bills passed in the final hours of the 2014 regular session. The bills threaten state funding to districts through reductions in the Foundation Formula — money that is already being withheld to make up for revenue losses projected from the tax breaks. Another effect of the tax breaks is a reduction in revenue collected under Proposition C, the 1-cent sales tax dedicated to education. The R-II district faces a loss of $163,000 this year in Proposition C funding alone, district leaders say. The statewide loss for schools from Proposition C funding is estimated to be about $94 million, or about $105 per student. Proposition C money is distributed on a per-pupil basis and is not run through the Foundation Formula. “I’d like to propose that we pass this resolution that requests that the governor’s vetoes stand, allowing us to receive the funding we’ve planned for in our current budget,” board member Alice Jensen said during the meeting. In a video address to R-II and other school boards, a representative of the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA) talked about the implications of the tax cuts to education. Brent Ghan, MSBA spokesperson, said the budget approved by the Legislature includes a $115 million increase in the Foundation Formula and a $15 million increase in school transportation funding. But, he noted, the governor has said his vetoes and budget restrictions are necessary to balance the budget since the tax breaks will result in a significant loss of state revenue.
R-II School District
