Thursday, June 22, 2006
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Again Delivers on Promise to Missourians; Commits $5 Billion to Benefit Students
JEFFERSON CITY–Gov. Matt Blunt today provided a significant $173.4 million funding increase to local schools, delivering on a major promise he made to the people of Missouri as a candidate for governor.
“The responsible budgeting, fiscal discipline and pro-growth initiatives I promised are turning Missouri around and empowering us to once again put education at the top of our priority list,” Blunt said. “I am pleased to send more dollars to the classroom and provide a significant funding increase to our schools and education programs. The support we offer our students today will undoubtedly be repaid as we continue to position our state as a leader in the global economy and work to create good, family supporting jobs now and in the future.”
With Blunt’s signature today, House Bill 2 delivers a significant 4.6 percent increase in state funding to Missouri’s public school system, on top of the 4.4 percent increase the governor secured last year. The legislation increases state funding from $3,767,652,639 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 to $3,941,081,121 for FY 2007. It includes an additional $127.9 million for the school funding formula, $15 million for the Small Schools Program, $6 million in new funding for costs incurred by school districts to educate severely disabled children, a $1 million increase for expansion of Missouri’s nationally recognized Parents as Teachers program, and an additional $1.8 million for A+ Schools. The bill Blunt signed today commits a total of $5,016,530,784 for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Since taking office, Blunt has sent almost a third of one billion dollars in funding increases to Missouri public schools. He has also pledged that he will never withhold money approved for Missouri classrooms.
These substantial increases reflect the governor’s belief that education is government’s most important responsibility. Education is and has always been his top budget and policy priority. He continues to look for ways to enhance Math, Engineering, Technology and Science (METS) learning in our state and hosted the first comprehensive summit to bring stakeholders together to identify solutions to current challenges in METS.
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