Rural schools facing cuts with difficulty

This article is consistent with what we’ve seen as we have traveled throughout the state and talked to people in different communities. No one has easy fixes to school budget problems and every district is facing challenges with the current funding situation. This article also shows what goes into some of the larger funding numbers (transportation costs, inability to share costs among a large number of students), which puts them in perspective.

“For [State Board of Education member Sally] Cauble, though these districts each are small alone, their contribution to the state as a whole is great, and their quality and performance therefore relevant for all Kansans.

“’When you talk about how many students in western Kansas that we educate — they’re not staying here,’ Cauble said, referring to the ongoing migration toward larger towns and cities in eastern and central Kansas. ‘They will be our leaders. We better have them educated.’

“After the recession hit, Gov. Mark Parkinson slashed Kansas’ base aid per pupil — the figure used to calculate much of schools’ operating budgets — from $4,400 to $3,937 over a two-year period.

“The reductions became increasingly controversial after Gov. Sam Brownback took the reins in 2011, further lowered base aid to $3,780 and signed into law sweeping cuts to state income tax. Base aid hadn’t fallen below $3,800 since 2000. Today, it is about the same level as in 2001.

“Even including other sources of funding, USD 494’s revenue hasn’t kept pace with inflation. Last year, the district spent about $14,030 per student, including all funding sources — local, federal and state. That is $240 higher than six years ago, when the recession hit, but about $1,200 behind the consumer price index.

“Since the recession, USD 494 has shed three teachers, its librarian and its elementary school counselor, three of seven teacher aides, and six of 13 special education aides. Meanwhile, the district has grown from 500 to 550 students.”

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