We remember these promises, too. Some who made them are still in office. USD 413 Superintendent James “Hardy remembers local legislators coming to school boards during the recession that started in 2008 and telling them the whole state was hurting and school districts would have to take a cut.

“I remember our legislators saying ‘when things get better we will bring you back to $4,400,’” Hardy said. “Those people have all been beaten in elections because our state took a sharp turn to the right.”

“Hardy said the final amount of increased funds from the Montoy decision was supposed to reach $4,492 per pupil. The cuts took the districts below the funding levels of $3,820 per pupil in 2000-2001, before the Montoy decision. They were then brought back up to $3,852 for 2014-2015.” http://www.chanute.com/news/article_e39dd4c2-5fbf-11e4-8978-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm