Governor Jay Nixon says he put all state supported programs on the table for budget cuts in his budget proposal for the fiscal year starting July 1, except K-12 education. He made the comment during an exclusive interview with MSBA for the February Board Report video program.
Nixon tells MSBA he had to cut about $800 million from next year's budget due to declining state revenue and that includes proposed cuts to corrections, mental health, social services and higher education.
"When we got to the end of the process, we had $18 million left," said Nixon. He added that was the amount he was able to add to the foundation formula for next year.
The $18 million is about $86 million short of what is required to fully fund the phase-in of the new formula for next year and some legislative leaders are calling for full funding even if that means additional cuts to other state services.
"We'd like to give as much money to K-12 education as we possibly can," Nixon said in the interview. But he added it's important to remember K-12 was the only area of his proposed state budget to receive an increase.
Nixon also commented on Missouri's Race to the Top application during the interview. He said, "Race to the Top has a chance to be one of the moments that are transformative for education in this country."
He also expressed skepticism about legislative proposals to allow open enrollment in Missouri. He said open enrollment is an example of what some people believe to be quick fixes for education. "There are folks who want these soundbite fixes to solve the real challenges facing schools," he said.
He concluded the interview by saying, "There are attacks on public education right now. There's special interest funding. It's important that we stay together to improve public education and I'm confident we're going to do just that."
You can watch the complete interview with Governor Nixon by visiting the MSBA Board Report on the MSBA website.