The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education was one of the hardest hit in the latest funding withholds by the governor. Representative Chuck Basye was not surprised.

Basye is the chair of the House’s Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. The department is set to see a 39 percent decrease in the month of June. Basye believes small rural schools are the ones who will be impacted most by these cuts.

Basye is hoping the legislature can put a majority of the $131 million back into DESE’s budget through the CARES Act money Missouri is expecting. A special session would be required to address the situation.