An effort to create a new way for the state to distribute money to public school districts will be investigated in the next few months. Several legislators say it’s obvious the present school Foundation Formula no longer fairly distributes state school aid funds. It’s been ten years since the present Foundation Formula was written, and those who were involved in that say they knew even in 1993 that the formula was only going to be good for about a decade.Some school districts are threatening to sue the state because they say the present system is unfair. House and Senate leaders are about to appoint members of a special committee that will rewrite the Foundation Formula. Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder (R-Cape Girardeau) will appoint some of the committee members. House Speaker Catherine Hanaway (R-Warson Woods) will appoint some House members to the committee, which could have suggestions ready for the 2004 legisaltive session if things go smoothly. The system now being sued took two years to write.
