KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An audit by State Auditor Nicole Galloway determined that Missouri K-12 schools funding ranks 49th nationally.
The report found that the state funding formula has not kept up with inflation, forcing schools to rely heavily on local sources — like property taxes — for funding.
State funding accounts for about 32% of per-student funding, according to Galloway's office.
"The state is not stepping up to meet the needs of students in Missouri, shifting the burden and leaving Missourians paying higher property taxes to support their schools," Galloway said in a statement announcing the findings. "The opportunity for a quality education is key to ensuring economic growth. My report details the facts that can spur change at the state level so we no longer rank at the bottom when it comes to supporting schools."
The report, which looked at 10 years of data, shows that the state did not meet funding obligations from 2013 to 2017 based on the average operating expenditures of the top 25 school districts.
Changes have helped fully fund the formula since then, but Galloway said the funding formula itself has not kept up with inflation.
