By Susan Redden

sredden@joplinglobe.com

Despite the title, the Missouri School Boards Association is taking no position on Proposition A, the “Schools First Initiative” on the Nov. 4 election ballot in the state.

Backers of the amendment say the measure, if approved, would boost public-school funding by an amount between $105 million and $130 million a year. It would also remove the state’s current $500 loss limit at casinos and restrict the number of casinos in the state to those in place or under construction.

The proposal rankles two area superintendents who say the measure “uses” schools to gain approval of law that primarily would benefit the state’s casino industry.

Ron Lankford, superintendent of the Webb City R-7 School District, said although the proposition would send money to his district, he is adamantly opposed to the measure, that it is just another in a long line of issues that use the guise of education to benefit private companies.

“It’s about gambling, not about education,” Lankford said. “There is a hard sell to pass this initiative, and education tends to be an area that people are interested in, so they will vote ‘yes’ on it because they think it will help the schools.”

New Carthage Superintendent Blaine Henningson said local talk about Proposition A is strangely quiet. But with pamphlets bearing the photos of schoolchildren and the name of “The Schools First Initiative,” Henningson said he is concerned that voters will think it was originated from by schools.

“This is a gambling initiative,” he said. “Let’s call it what it is, let’s tell it straight up. If it passes, let it pass. But this sits wrong with me.”

It’s true that the measure will increase revenues for casinos, but it also will give more money to schools, without local school boards having to ask voters for a tax increase, said Scott Charton, spokesman for YES on A Coalition.

“It will help schools trying to pay for higher fuel costs and keeping teachers’ salaries competitive,” he said. “And defeating it does not keep the status quo, because that means Missouri keeps its outdated gaming laws and loses more revenues to Kansas.”

He said the Missouri Gaming Commission has estimated that potential loss at “about $45 million in funds that would go to education. Granted, they’re casino revenues, but that’s what’s being taxed. It’s like a modern border raid.”

According to the YES on A Coalition, Proposition A would conservatively bring in nearly $3.4 million in additional education funding to Jasper County schools and more than $1.5 million in additional funding to Newton County schools.

The Missouri School Boards’ Association has not taken a position, and has some concerns about the measure’s guarantee of providing additional funding for education, said Brent Gahn, director of communications.

“It appears to be well written, with the needed guarantees, but we’ve been down that road before,” he said, noting lottery funds that went into education and supplanted school funding that was then spent for other purposes.