Senate Gives First Round Approval to School Funding Fix

The Senate has given first round approval to a bill altering the funding penalties for schools that experience reductions in the number of students attending summer school. Senate Majority Leader Charlie Shields of St. Joseph says it’s a fix for a problem stemming from the new school funding formula. Under the current formula, any school district whose average daily attendance falls below 15 percent of the district’s 2005-2006 summer school average would be penalized and would lose funding. The penalty was aimed at schools dropping summer school, but it inadvertently hit districts that have lost students through no fault of their own. One more positive vote in the Senate sends the bill to the House.