Budget Cuts in Missouri Could Impact Schools

The state of Missouri is facing more cuts to the state budget, which could impact Kansas City, MO schools. Today, Governor Nixon announced over $300 million dollars in tax cuts, which will decrease college scholarships, mental health services and school transportation.

The cuts to school transportation may be the most significant reduction to the state budget, as the reported $70 million being cut for transportation is 45 percent of the overall budget. Nixon said the cuts were made to preserve funding for classrooms.

While Nixon’s efforts to improve education are commendable, slashing the school’s transportation budget nearly in half will likely have significant consequences. If schools continue to cut transportation, working parents may lose bus options for their children and be forced to find other options. If the school districts cannot cut transportation further, other areas of education may be negatively impacted.

It is important for the state to try to cut education as little as possible. If budget cuts are necessary in the future, hopefully legislation can find ways to reduce spending without impacting education. In our present economy, however, this may not be possible.