Lawmakers Asked To Allow Public Funding For Private Schools

Groups wanting a constitutional change to let parochial schools get state education funds make a lot of charges. Now they have to wait to see if they’ve made theircase. Missouri’s constitution contains a provision enacted in 1975 that says state money will not be given to church-run schools or to those who run themor teach in them. Private school interests demand the Legislature ask voters to throw out that provision. They’ve called it a sad and shameful law and discriminatory on its face. But Missouri National Education Association lobbyist Otto Fajen says the law clearly is not discriminatory. He says it is government’s obligation to establish and operate schools for the general public. He says those schools are accountable to the publc for the money they get. But Fajen says the state has no control over private schools, which he says don’t have to be accountable to the public for how they spend funds. Removing the prohibition has been a Republican priority for years. Kriegshauser has told Republicans that they’d better get the constitution changed this year, or they’ll be considered as bigoted as the Democrats have been. A Senate committee has held a hearing but has taken no action.