Children’s Education Alliance of Missouri

Court Rules In Favor of Missouri School Funding Formula

ADEQUACY TRIAL
The Missouri school funding adequacy trial has already cost taxpayers millions of dollars that should have been used for their children’s education. Judge Callahan of the Cole County circuit court recently upheld the State’s funding formula, but the plaintiff school districts have said they will continue to sue the state for an additional billion dollars, despite the judge’s opinion that the constitution doesn’t allow the courts to usurp lawmakers on this issue.

With only six weeks left before the trial, the Attorney General’s office had only deposed 2 witnesses. Realizing the Attorney General could not adequately defend taxpayers, Bevis Schock, Menlo Smith and Rex Sinquefield made an appeal to the judge and, in a move unprecedented in US history, these local

taxpayers were allowed to intervene on behalf of taxpayers against this Constitutional threat. In the defense of Missouri’s taxpayers, the intervenors did not use public funds in the trial. Sinquefield gave a private donation of more than $750,000 to pay for attorney fees, expert witnesses and trial preparation expenses as attorney Josh Schindler immediately went to work pulling together more than 60 depositions.

Missourians and their legislators agree that education is a top priority for the state budget. What is less agreed upon is exactly what amount is sufficient to educate Missouri’s students adequately. Currently, over one-third of the state budget is spent on K-12 education. The Committee for Educational Equality, the Committee to Fund Excellent Schools, and the St. Louis City public school board (plaintiffs) have said they will appeal to the state Supreme Court despite having no proof that increased spending will result in student achievement, no alternate plans if schools don’t improve, and no definition of success.

What does this mean for Missourians? It’s not just an increase in taxes and/or loss of other valuable state programs. The plaintiff school districts are taking money that is supposed to go to students to pay for a frivolous lawsuit, so taxpayers cannot trust that an increase in spending will be used wisely.

Clayton School District to Bill St. Louis Public Schools Tuition for Their Failure?
Several children now enrolled in the Clayton School District are now asking them to send St. Louis Public Schools the tab for their tuition. Their attorney alleges that state law requires the failed district to make the payment whenever they transfer from an unaccredited district. What about the other 30,000 children held hostage to poor results? (Click Here)