Missouri Governor, Jay Nixon, replenished $6.75 million to the Missouri Public Education Programs following the record setting Mega Millions Jackpot. Nixon had previously been forced to cut Missouri’s education funding due to the sluggish economy.
The $656 million jackpot is being shared by individuals in Maryland, Illinois and Kansas but is also satisfying state and local budgets across the country.
The funding is set to be appropriated as follows:
$5 million – K-12 Transportation
$659,783 – A+ Schools Program
$357,500 – Missouri Access Scholarship Program
$300,000 – Math and Science Tutoring
$200,000 – Scholars in Fine Arts
$100,000 – Literacy Program
“These funds will be put to immediate use by our school districts for the vital task of bringing children safely to and from school, even as districts face the challenge of rising fuel prices and also will support important learning opportunities in the arts and other fields,” Nixon said
It is yet to be seen whether or not any of the additional funds will be used for online education. Jay Nixon has supported online education in the past, recently proclaiming October to be Columbia College Online Education month in recognition of the programs 10th anniversary.
With many state public education programs turning to online education there may never be a better time for the state of Missouri to invest in such initiatives.
