2006 Initiative Petitions
Approved for Circulation in Missouri
Funding Education Initiative
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Submitting to the qualified voters of Missouri , amendments to Sections 1 (a), 3 (a), 3 (b), 9 (a), 9 (b) and 10 and adding seven new sections 10 (a), 10 (b), 10 (c), 11, 12, 13 and 14 and repealing Section 8 of Article IX of the Constitution of Missouri,
Be it resolved by the people of the state of Missouri that the Constitution be amended:
Article IX - EDUCATION
Section 1(a)
Free public schools--age limit.
A general diffusion of knowledge and intelligence being essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people, the general assembly shall establish and maintain free public schools for the gratuitous instruction of all persons in this state within ages not in excess of twenty-one years or grades K-14 as prescribed by law.
Section 3(a)
Payment and distribution of appropriations and income.
All appropriations by the state for the support of schools and the income from the public school fund shall be paid at least [annually] quarterly and distributed according to law.
Section 3(b)
Deficiency in provision for eight-month school year--allotment of state revenue for school purposes.
In event the school fund provided and set apart by law for the support of schools, shall be insufficient to sustain schools at least eight months in every year in each school district of the state, the general assembly must provide for such deficiency; but in no case shall there be set apart less than [twenty-five] thirty-three percent of the state revenue, exclusive of interest and sinking fund, to be applied annually to the support of schools.
[Section 8]
[Prohibition of public aid for religious purposes and institutions.]
[Neither the general assembly, nor any county, city, town, township, school district or other municipal corporation, shall ever make an appropriation or pay from any public fund whatever, anything in aid of any religious creed, church or sectarian purpose, or to help to support or sustain any private or public school, academy, seminary, college, university, or other institution of learning controlled by any religious creed, church or sectarian denomination whatever; nor shall any grant or donation of personal property or real estate ever be made by the state, or any county, city, town or other municipal corporation, for any religious creed, church, or sectarian purpose whatever.]
Section [9 (a)] 8 (a)
State university-government by board of curators-number and appointment.
The government of the state university shall be vested in a board of curators consisting of nine members appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate.
Section [9 (b)] 8 (b)
Maintenance of state university and other educational institutions.
The general assembly shall adequately maintain the state university and such other educational institutions as it may deem necessary.
Section [10] 9
Free public libraries-declaration of policy-state aid to local public libraries.
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state to promote the establishment and development of free public libraries and to accept the obligation of their support by the state and its subdivisions and municipalities in such manner as may be provided by law. When any such subdivision or municipality supports a free library, the general assembly shall grant aid to such public library in such manner and in such amounts as may be provided by law.
Section 10 (a)
Funding through taxation for all K-14 schools shall be the exclusive and sole responsibility of the state legislature.
State funds obtained through taxation of income, sales and property, shall be distributed on behalf of all K-14 students. All funding of all K-14 schools through taxation shall be the exclusive and sole responsibility of the state legislature. No individual K-12 public school, public school district, special school district or community college district shall be allowed to raise any additional funds from any form of taxation of income, sales or property.
Section 10 (b)
Funding shall come from tax levies on income, sales and property.
Funding of all K-14 education shall come from no less than twenty-five percent nor more than forty percent of any category of taxation of income, sales or property. The legislature shall annually determine and appropriate an amount to be provided for all K-14 public school and K-14 non-public school students in the form of scholarship certificates.
Section 10 (c)
The amount of funding and its distribution shall be determined on whether a K-14 student attends a public or non-public school. One hundred percent of the amount of said scholarship certificate shall be distributed to public schools on behalf of parents or guardians choosing a public school education for their student. Seventy-five percent of the amount of said scholarship certificate shall be distributed through the parents or guardians on behalf of students choosing a non-public school if said education is provided by a recognized nationally, regionally or state accredited non-public school accrediting agency or is a school currently not accredited but which has obtained provisional approval pending accreditation to be received within the fourth school year of participation. No additional testing requirements of K-14 non-public school students can be required by law, regulation or otherwise.
Section 11
Special students with physical or mental disability needs.
The legislature shall determine and provide additional funding for all students requiring special care due to physical and/or mental disability as a percentage of the basic amount provided all K-14 public or K-14 non-public school students. The legislature shall set several levels of additional funding to meet the varying physical and/or mental needs of the individual student's disability.
Section 12
Additional income designated by law for all K-14 education
Other state income from lottery tickets or regulated gambling shall be divided equally among all K-14 public school students and K-14 non-public school students.
Section 13
Additional methods of financing for all public or non-public schools.
All K-14 public schools, K-14 non-public schools, grades 13-14 community colleges or K-14 non-profit educational trusts, shall be allowed to obtain additional funding through the providing of ninety percent state income tax credits to businesses and/or individuals who donate funds to K-14 public schools, K-14 non-public schools, grades 13-14 community colleges or K-14 non-profit educational trusts.
Section 14
K-14 non-profit educational trusts.
K-14 non-profit educational trusts already in existence or which may be established to receive contributions eligible for state tax credits must distribute to K-14 students on an annual basis ninety percent of the funds they receive annually from businesses and individuals.