By BRENT MARTIN
A group of 16 is reviewing the Missouri school funding formula, seeking to recommend an update for the legislature to consider.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe appointed the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force and selected state Sen. Rusty Black of Chillicothe as its chair.
Black says its members, in its first three meetings, are already understanding the difficulty of trying to bring property tax relief to Missourians while properly funding public schools. Black says the task force must also have an understanding of how changes might impact local governmental entities which rely on property tax revenue to operate.
“I believe we’re going to come up with one or two plans to go forward as long as we can have some sense of being sure that that local taxing entity doesn’t get blown up before our eyes,” Black tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
Missouri’s public school funding formula is 20 years old. Former state Sen. Charlie Shields, a Republican from St. Joseph, devised the current formula in the 2005 legislative session. It went into effect in the 2006-2007 school year.
Black says members hope to retain portions of the formula that are forward thinking while updating portions that are showing their age.
“Some states are trying to get to something that looks somewhat like ours, similar to ours,” Black says. “But does ours have some outdated stuff to it? It certainly does that as well. And then Rusty Black, as chair of the committee letting the committee do their work, they may come up with a completely different plan that I’ve not even thought about.”
Missouri lawmakers have been considering various proposals to ease the property tax burden on Missouri homeowners. Those efforts are tempered by awareness that lowering property taxes could negatively impact local governmental entities. Missouri has around 2,500 local governments that rely on property tax revenue.
Black says as for this the group, it has to consider easing the tax burden on property owners while properly funding public schools.
“I think our task force has to be very thoughtful,” Black says. “Are we going to see big changes in personal and real property taxes going forward or are there going to be some things happen that keeps some consistency there without just blowing the place up?”
Black says the task force must walk a tightrope.
“How do we effect change without creating crisis?”
The Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force is to provide a public school funding model in a final report to be delivered to Gov. Kehoe December 1, 2026.
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ
