Education funding always draws plenty of debate in government legislatures across the nation and in Congress. Some politicians argue not enough money is spent on our students. Others say too much is spent and funds are directed at the wrong places.

“Money isn’t pixie dust,” declared a Texas assistant solicitor general involved in a 2016 lawsuit case in Texas. “Funding is no guarantee of better student outcomes.”

A common problem with increased funding in education, rarely do taxpayers hear about positive results connected to spending. That changed this week.

On Monday, Marshall High School Principal Brian Jones teamed up with teachers Bessie Skalicky and Emily Snyder to deliver a report in front of the Marshall Public Schools district board on a new learning approach being used with success for ninth graders.

The new approach is called BARR (Building Assets Reducing Risks). Jones credits the BARR framework for a 4% increase in the number of ninth graders who passed all their classes over the course of the school year.

What is BARR and how is it used?

According to Jones and the two teachers, the program uses a team of teachers who focus on building relationships. If a student is failing classes, teachers can use what they know about the student’s strengths, interests and relationships to help them. They can also connect with other resources, counselors, coaches or support services.

BARR was founded in 1988 by a ninth-grade counselor at St. Louis Park High School near the Twin Cities. She was frustrated that half of her freshmen were failing courses. Since then, the program is being used by school districts across the nation.

Jones gave a BARR presentation the next day at the Marshall Noon Rotary Club. The members were impressed with the results claimed by Jones. But at the end of the presentation, one of the club members wanted to know how much was being spent on the program.

Jones explained the district applied and received a $8,500 per year grant — and it’s good for three years. But after the three years are up, the district would have to spend $15,000 to continue the program. To some taxpayers, that may seem like a good chunk of change of extra spending. But Jones told the Rotarians he doesn’t see it as extra spending. He believes the BARR program will allow the district to overcome that expenditure by having to spend less on summer school and other remedial programs.

Hopefully, the BARR program will deliver continual positive results in student success into year three. That’s because Jones would like to see the program expand to other grade levels in the district.

If the success rate continues to rise and less money is spent on other remedial programs, that will be good news for the district, the students and their parents.