The Hazelwood School District Gets Its Share of $7.5 Million to Support School Transportation Programs

Thanks to stronger than anticipated state revenues, Missouri school districts, including the , will receive an increase in state funding for transportation to the tune of $7.5 million. Distribution of the funds is scheduled to begin this month.

State Budget Director Linda Luebbering said that Gov. Jay Nixon released the additional funds earlier this month to help schools cover the increasing cost of fuel for school buses, which has jumped by about 10 percent since the beginning of the school year. Luebbering noted that many Missouri school districts have felt the strain of rising gas prices.

For example, the Hazelwood School District's (HSD) 2010-11 budget document showed:

• a four percent decrease in overall budget from the '10 fiscal year to the '11 fiscal year.
• a three percent reduction in the general fund.
• a 10 percent reduction in the special teacher’s fund.
• a three percent reduction in the debt service fund.
• the capital projects fund had an eight percent increase.

The document also noted that while Missouri isn’t the most financially challenged state, K-12 education funding had several cuts in the 2009-10 school year, and that more are expected this year.

In response to the cuts, the district eliminated a number of support positions and made what it called “slight changes” to employee health insurance plans.

Diana Gulotta, HSD’s assistant superintendent for communications, said that the district is happy to receive the additional funding.

“In light of the difficult economic times, we appreciate any increase in funding from state or federal sources,” she said.

With the additional funding, school districts may use it to begin reinstating bus routes that were cancelled due to lack of funding or to reinstate programs that were cancelled to provide adequate funding for student transportation.

“Any school that gets transportation funding money from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will get a piece of that $7.5 million, including the Hazelwood School District,” Luebbering said. “There is a formula that DESE uses to distribute the money to the schools, just like they distribute all school funds.”

More than 570 Missouri school districts will receive a portion of the $7.5 million released by Gov. Nixon. Luebbering said HSD will receive a little bit more than $104,000.

“The way the formula usually works is that it’s spread out over 12 months," she said. "But since this is a mid-year release, this portion will go out between January and June.”

The Hazelwood School District Board of Education approves all decisions made about what to do with the money HSD receives. Stay with Patch for coverage of the HSD Board of Education meeting on Feb. 15.