The State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is among the state departments and agencies that have been studying the budget in the weeks since the 2010 fiscal year budget passed the General Assembly, trying to determine the impact of 2010 spending plans. And DESE sees both positives and negatives.
Geri Ogle, an Associate Commissioner with DESE, says a positive is an increase in the school funding formula.
“The Legislature approved a $63-million increase for the basic state aid formula, also called the foundation formula, for school districts.” said Ogle. “Almost a $16-million increase for transportation to help school districts transport students to and from school.”
But not all is rosy.
“There are some cuts to staffing levels in the Department of Education and in our state schools for severely disabled, blind, and deaf,” Ogle told the Missourinet. “So, we will be dealing with those reductions in the coming weeks.”
DESE is also concerned with continuing cuts to critical needs funding, which includes money for professional development as well as providing assistance to struggling school districts.
“We’ve had $20-million in FY ’08 that was reduced to $15-million in FY ’09 and to $7-million in FY ’10,” said Ogle. “So that is a disappointment.”
The Department of Education will look for items for which to propose supplement budget funding as well as items to propose for the 2011 fiscal year budget, which must be submitted to the Governor by October 1st.