Funding

What’s all the fuss about funding? While throwing money at a problem doesn’t fix it, failing to adequately fund Kansas public schools has significant short and long-term consequences for all Kansans.

Funding cuts in Kansas

When adjusted for inflation, Kansas education funding has not returned to pre-recession levels, despite school funding litigation that has resulted in mandated funding levels.  While we await a legislative response to the most recent decision in the Gannon case, it is important to understand that operating budgets for schools have been cut while Kansas schools have seen large increases in the number of students who qualify for free and reduced lunches and English Language Learners as well as rising expectations for educational outcomes in our state.

 

Funding for operating expenses has been cut, and funding does matter.

Further Reading

http://www.kansas.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article192028729.html

 

K-12 funding is not taking larger share of state budget

 

KSDE Survey of Kansas School Districts Results

Supreme Court finds school funding unconstitutional again

http://tallmankasb.blogspot.com/2014/08/facts-about-kansas-school-funding-up.html

http://www.swprsc.org/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/52dfe36a3a5e3/K-12%20Education%20Funding%20rev%201-8-14.pdf

http://realprosperityks.com/policy/kansas-education-hole

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=4011

http://tallmankasb.blogspot.com/2013/08/what-is-real-state-of-kansas-school.html

http://www.shankerinstitute.org/images/doesmoneymatter_final.pdf

http://budgetfinance.smsd.org/pages/default.aspx

http://www.smac-pta.com/legislative/content/myth-busters-%E2%80%93-chronic-underfunding-base-state-aid-september-2011-issue-2

http://www.smac-pta.com/legislative/sites/default/files/downloadable/MythBusterSchoolFundingIssue1.pdf

http://www.khi.org/weblogs/budget-blog/2013/mar/05/best-chart-education-spending/

http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=26pkds01u14%3d&tabid=1989&mid=5650

https://www.kasb.org/wcm/_Advocacy_Research/_CapitolUpdates/CapUpdate110212.aspx

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2012/11/25/how-grossly-underfunded-are-public-schools/

http://parentsacrossamerica.org/what-we-believe-2/why-class-size-matters/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/opinion/sunday/17kristof.html?_r=0

http://www.smac-pta.com/legislative/content/myth-busters-%E2%80%93-district-fund-balances-october-2011-issue-3