We’ve noticed Kansans are being told that school districts in Kansas are choosing to close or cut staff and programming, but as we have talked to people throughout Kansas, we see that some districts choose to increase class sizes, some choose to cut staff, some choose to cut programs or activities, some choose to cut their school week or school year, but these are choices about which bad options to select and must be viewed in the context of funding constraints. Here’s the latest example:
“When Brownback was asked if he took any responsibility for consolidation happening at the local level due to budget constraints, he reiterated his opposition to forced consolidation and stopped taking questions.
“John Milburn, the governor’s campaign spokesman, said that the state was not responsible for consolidation happening at the local level. ‘It’s not really a policy decision that the governor can do when local school districts get together. That’s a decision that’s made between two local school boards. They decide to do that,’ Milburn said. ‘There’s no policy in the state that’s forcing consolidation. That’s a completely local decision.’”
Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/election/article2092028.html#storylink=cpy