Nixon describes Good Schools, Good Jobs plan during Cassville visit

(From Gov. Jay Nixon)

Good schools are vital to Missouri’s ability to compete and create jobs in the global economy, Gov. Jay Nixon said today during a visit to Cassville High School in Barry County.  The Governor’s “Good Schools, Good Jobs”plan, which he detailed during his State of the State last week, will provide the resources to help the Cassville R-IV School District reduce class sizes and protect access to early childhood education.

“We must make sure that every student has the opportunity to attend a good school so that when they graduate, they are on a solid path to college or a career,” Gov. Nixon said. “As a result of our strict fiscal discipline and growing economy, we now have the ability to equip our schools with the tools they need to teach today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs. The choice before us is clear: we can build on our momentum by investing in our schools, or we can settle for less and watch our students – and our economy – fall behind.”

Gov. Nixon’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget proposal includes an increase of $278 million for K-12 classrooms, putting the state on a path to fully funding the foundation formula in two years.  The K-12 foundation formula, passed into law in 2005, establishes the state’s funding level for K-12 schools.  This would increase funding for the Cassville R-IV School District by more than $654,000, which the district will use to hire more teachers to reduce class sizes, increase technology in the classroom and protect early childhood educational opportunities through the district’s pre-school program.

“Gov. Nixon’s ‘Good Schools, Good Jobs’ plan will help the Cassville R-IV School District improve learning and provide our students with the resources needed for a 21st century education,” said Cassville Superintendent Richard Asbill. “On behalf of Cassville and other Barry county schools, we hope that all of our local legislators will join in the honorable effort to fund schools and support the students and parents they represent.”

Gov. Nixon has made public education in Missouri a top priority of his administration. Math and reading scores have increased on his watch and Missouri’s high school graduation rate is now the eighth highest in the nation. Over the past five years, Missouri has also led the nation in minimizing tuition increases at its public universities.