THE TRIBUNE'S VIEW

School lawsuit
Time for Columbia to pull the plug

By HENRY J. WATERS III, Publisher, Columbia Daily Tribune
Published Wednesday, October 24, 2007

About half of Missouri's 524 public school districts sued the state for not
providing equitable or adequate funding. The Cole County Circuit Court twice
has denied their allegation, finding the state is under no such legal
obligation.

Judge Richard Carnahan's decision was reasonable, and besides, Columbia
Public Schools stood hardly any chance of improving its fiscal situation
even if the suit had been successful. The district already has spent more
than $80,000 in this quest. Statewide, plaintiff districts have spent more
than $3 million. If the larger group wants to appeal to the Missouri Supreme
Court, as its attorney urges, Columbia Public Schools should not join them.

The lawsuit never made sense. Even if you believe funding is inequitable and
inadequate, no remedy can be found in Missouri law, leaving courts no
legitimate role in telling the Missouri General Assembly what to do.

Except for the basic requirement the state spend 25 percent of its general
revenue on public schools, Judge Callahan found the Missouri Constitution
does not specify school funding. To hope the Supreme Court will overturn his
ruling is an idle exercise.

Even if Callahan had found school funding inequitable, Columbia would not
have gained. As one of the districts with above average per-pupil state
funding, a mandated move to level the playing field mathematically would
have reduced our share. Local officials had counted on an order to increase
the overall amount of funding in hopes the rising tide would mean even a
smaller share would give them more money.

Such an order concerning the adequacy of funding was the least likely of the
two unlikely legal requests, leaving precious little potential gain for the
Columbia district, as opined here several times in the past.

So now is the time for Columbia school officials to cut their costs and go
on to other pursuits. They - we - have spent enough in this futile quest.