Missouri Supreme Court finds school funding formula constitutional.

Intro:	Though opponents of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the school funding formula say it is unfair, unequal distribution of funds is perfectly constitutional.
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Wrap: The formula doesn't equally distribute state funding among all school districts because the state's constitution doesn't mandate under it's equal protection clause.

St. Louis University Law Professor Peter Salsich said the issue was not equality but fairness.

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Description: "Fundamentally, education is funded in Missouri through local property taxes. And that's the part where the equal protection clause might kick in, or people might feel like it should kick in."

He explained how wealthier areas have higher property tax values granting them more money per student.

The Constitution however, only requires the legislature to allocate twenty-five percent of state revenue to education.

It also states that the General Assembly will create a formula to divide the money and a board to oversee operations.

Alex Bartlett represented more than 200 of the states 500 plus school districts in the case and said the lawsuit centered on the inadequacy of the current formula and the disparity of district funding.

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Description: "The new formula does not nearly provide for the funding that was provided in the old formula."

Bartlett said the prior formula called for 900 million more dollars than could be provided, which prompted lawmakers to draft the current formula and replace the old one.

He said the problem couldn't be fixed with a new formula, but instead with more money from the state.

Republican Senator Charlie Shields sponsored the new formula back in 2005, and said he wasn't surprised by the court's decision.

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Description: "The formula is based on what it actually costs to educate a child, not on the taxing capacity or the tax revenue of a school district."

Shields maintains the formula will produce a billion dollars a year for schools.

Bartlett said he has not decided if he will move for a rehearing.

From Jefferson City this is Allison Blood KSMU Radio.

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Intro:	While the school funding formula faced scrutiny, the Missouri Supreme Court found it to be constitutional.
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Wrap: St. Louis University Law Professor Peter Salsich said the Constitution does not require money to be spent equally among school districts.

He said the Constitution requires twenty-five percent of state revenue to be allocated to education.

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Description: If there is a deficiency in the state education fund to sustain the schools, the general assembly may provide for such deficiency.

He explained that the formula was designed to equitably divide state money for schools in case of a deficiency.

From Jefferson City, I'm Allison Blood, KSMU Radio.

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Intro:	The Missouri Constitution does not require funding for education to be split equally.
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Wrap: It does however leave the legislature responsible for devising a formula to destribute the money.

This has spurred a debate on the constituionality of the current school funding formula, which was settled by the Missouri Supreme Court this week.

Opponents claim the formula does not adequately allocate money for school districts with low property tax bases.

Attourney Alex Bartlett represented 200 Missouri School districts in a law suit aimed at overturning the formula.

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Description: The new formula does not nearly provide for the funding that was provided under the old formula.

Bartlett said he is not sure if he will move for a rehearing.

From Jefferson City, I'm Allison Blood, KSMU News.

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