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Nixon Pledges To Raise Missouri's K-12 Budget Next Year

Marshall Griffin/St. Louis Public Radio
Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon (D) speaking to K-12 education officials in Jefferson City on Oct. 23, 2013.

Two days after pledging to significantly raise Missouri's Higher Education budget next year, Governor Jay Nixon (D) on Wednesday pledged to do the same for the state's public schools.

Nixon told K-12 school leaders in Jefferson City that the state's AAA credit rating and improving economy will enable his administration to spend more money on educating Missouri's children.

"My budget for Fiscal Year 2015 will include a real investment in our K-12 classrooms," Nixon said, "and make a significant down payment on my commitment to fully fund the foundation formula before I am done as your governor."

Nixon says the size of the budget hike will be determined later.  The Democratic governor also again warned that deep tax cuts Republicans hope to pass next year could undermine his plan to boost the state's education budgets for both public schools and institutions of higher learning.

Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter:  @MarshallGReport

Marshal was a political reporter for St. Louis Public Radio until 2018.