Nixon pledges $5M in state funds to education

During a visit yesterday to Nixa High School, Gov. Jay Nixon announced more than $5 million in additional education funds being made available for K-12 schools and higher education institutions.

The state is providing $3 million to support school district transportation programs, which are facing rising fuel prices. The rest of the funding, roughly $2.23 million, would benefit Missouri's public colleges and universities, which again face state cuts in Nixon's proposed budget for fiscal 2013, according to a news release.

State Budget Director Linda Luebbering said the additional funds became available because of an increase in lottery proceeds.

“We track our revenues and spending in real time,” Nixon said in the release. “I will continue to monitor our revenue situation closely and control the rate of state spending to ensure that our budget remains balanced.”

During the trip, Nixon also congratulated the Nixa School District for earning the state's Distinction in Performance Designation for the 2011-12 academic year. The school district has earned the designation each of the last 10 years, according to the release, which noted the designation is based on achieving state academic standards, including all six Missouri Assessment Program standards.

“The teachers, faculty and staff at Nixa schools are committed to ensuring that their students are learning the right skills today to be successful tomorrow and beyond,” Nixon said in the release. “To continue supporting great schools like this throughout Missouri, my budget for next year recommends record funding for K-12 classrooms, and I look forward to working with the General Assembly to make this commitment a reality.”

In Nixon's proposed budget, $99.8 million would be spent on K-12 transportation and $105.5 million would be used to maintain programs such as A+ and Bright Flight.

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