The Missouri Senate's top budgeter is proposing giving public K-12 schools $48 million more next year, which would mean about $50 million less than what House lawmakers approved.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dan Brown on Wednesday said he wants to take the $50 million in savings and put half toward school busing and transportation.
If approved by the committee and full Senate, that would set up a showdown with the House, which voted to put another $98 million toward core K-12 school funding.
Senate budgeters and the House appear to agree on steady core funding for public colleges and universities. Gov. Eric Greitens proposed cutting funding by $68 million compared to what schools are expected to receive this year.