KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser was focused on Kansas City, Mo., schools at an unofficial State of the City speech Sunday, saying he wants to keep communication between the city and schools open.

Michelle Holdman is 18 years old and even though her family is in Kansas City, Mo., she goes to school in the Blue Valley School District in Kansas.

"There's a big difference," Holdman said.

It is because of families like Holdman's, Funkhouser said he wants to make some very big changes.

"I'm not going to try to fix education, but I want to do my part of the job, which we haven't been doing," Funkhouser said.

Funkhouser said there is a perception that the schools are dangerous and undesirable and said the perception of schools is one of the reasons.

The mayor described his "Schools First" plan to folks in midtown this morning, making it clear the city needs to step up.

One of the steps Funkhouser said he will try to take is approval of a bond issue for voters to agree to a $100 million general obligation bond, which would go to fix things like roads and sidewalks near schools. He said he also wants to renew the public safety sales tax, which would help fund more police officers around schools. Funkhouser said he wants to pursue more grant money and and also wants to target money to demolish dangerous buildings near schools.

"We say 'Good God, your test scores suck ... good God the graduation rate is no good,'" Funkhouser said. "They need help, a partner, their city government to be an engaged partner."

The Kansas City Council would have to authorize the bond issue to put it on the August ballot.