Legislative Committee On School Funding Holds First Meeting

The legislative committee studying issues related to the funding of public schools has held its first session in Jefferson City. For the most part, the committee laid the groundwork for future meetings, with hopes of having something in place in time for the next regular session of the Legislature which begins in January. Senator Charlie Shields of St. Joseph, the Chairman of the Committee, says one of the ideas being considered is one to replace property taxes as the funding source for public schools. Shields says more and more people support the idea of moving away from property taxes. And, those individuals include senior citizens who are having difficulty holding onto their homes. Shields says it’s too early to tell whether the Committee will favor the idea of a shift to income taxes, sales taxes, or any other form of taxation – if it decides to recommend moving from property taxes.