From KASB:

School districts across Kansas are reporting that they are making budget cuts or other adjustments because of state funding problems under the new block grant finance plan.

Supporters of the new block grant school finance plan say it increases total funding to public schools, gives districts more flexibility in how it can spend state dollars and will provide stability to school funding.

KASB research shows the dollar increases from the state are for the most part bottled up in employer pension funding and property tax relief. That doesn’t buy books and supplies, nor does it take into account rising insurance and utility costs. And the block grants – unlike the school finance formula it replaced – make no accommodation for increasing enrollment or increasing student needs.

In addition, approximately $50 million that should have come from the Legislature-approved school finance bill last year that has been cut and the block grants ostensibly cement into place that lowered level of spending…

KASB has compiled a running account, based on information from school districts and media reports, of budget problems besetting school districts and actions they are taking. KASB is requesting that school leaders submit information about their budget issues to Scott Rothschild at srothschild@kasb.org.

— Lakin USD 215 has cut one elementary teacher, two middle school teachers, one high school teacher, two paraprofessionals, one nurse’s aide, eliminated overtime, eliminated a substitute custodian, cut an IT position in half, eliminated $2,600 in software program costs, and cut elementary summer school.
— The school board of Barnes-Hanover-Linn USD 223 has approved no regular education summer school, reducing four student contact days, reduced spring coaches, no professional development days. And for the next school year, the district has decided to non-renew two licensed teachers, reduce assistant coaches for football, volleyball and basketball, reduce extended contact days for vocational-agriculture and woods department and eliminate the Parents as Teachers program.
— For this school year, Meade USD 226 has reduced the assistant cook’s position to half-time and limited other expenditures. For 2015-16, the district will hold a mail ballot election to raise the LOB from 30 percent to 33 percent, may not fill a teacher position, may eliminate a bus route, reduce summer help, and may increase some fees.
— Twin Valley USD 240 ended May 8 instead of May 20. School board members said in a news release, “This decision was based on the financial plight of the district. The district has few fiscal reserves to endure the present mid-year unplanned financial cuts recently signed into law.”
— Weskan USD 242 has eliminated a para position, halftime certified elementary position, bus route, no district-funded summer school, the possible elimination of the halftime shop program, and an LOB election to go from 30 percent to 33 percent.
— Lebo-Waverly USD 243 sought $55,000 state through a “School District Extraordinary Needs Fund,” which is meant to help districts that have experienced an unexpected financial loss. It received the request.
— LeRoy-Gridley USD 245 is releasing school one week early to use the savings for next year. For the next school year, the district has made $130,000 in cuts mostly through attrition and transportation. District officials say they are bracing for upwards of a 5 percent cut in the next school year.
— North Lyon County USD 251 requested $92,139 under the Extraordinary Needs Fund and received nothing.
— Southern Lyon County USD 252 requested $107,265 from the Extraordinary Needs Fund and received nothing.
— Valley Center USD 262 has reduced building budgets and technology by 4 percent, professional development, didn’t fill an at-risk position, eliminated summer help positions, energy conservation, and printing maximums per employee.
— Waconda USD 272 requested $164,475 under the Extraordinary Needs Fund and received $57,237.
— Quinter USD 293 is eliminating the librarian, increasing enrollment fees, not rehiring to fill two resignations, and considering a number of other cost savings.
— Southeast of Saline USD 306 is reducing three classified positions, not re-hiring two certified positions, making reductions in extracurricular budget and moving maintenance and custodial salaries to capital outlay for the remainder of the current fiscal year.
— In the school finance lawsuit court hearing, Hutchinson USD 308 Superintendent Shelly Kiblinger said because the district is receiving $313,000 less than it had anticipated at the start of the school year, the district is cutting three elementary teachers, three instructional coaches for teachers, its only middle school librarian, a high school teacher, a groundskeeper and secretarial position.
— Haven USD 312 in south-central Kansas recently voted to close Mount Hope Elementary School and to shut down the school year early. Haven is expected to lose $125,718 next year and will forfeit another $165,000 because its local option budget will decrease from 33 percent to 31 percent since it did not have a vote to keep the LOB at 33 percent, according to the Hutchinson News. In addition, the district is expected to pay more for health insurance next year.
— Onaga USD 322 will be cutting one elementary school para that serves high needs students, an elementary school counselor, moving to one K-12 counselor, and one bus route.
— Rock Creek USD 323 officials said they would likely need to freeze salaries, will try to raise LOB and Capital Outlay mill levies, are not purchasing planned classroom technology equipment; not training teachers in ESOL as planned earlier; cutting summer school; not performing planned summer maintenance projects; changing health insurance benefits, spending down reserves and may eliminate one bus route.
— Concordia USD 333 is shutting down May 15 instead of May 21. Concordia also sought $326,000 from the state through the Extraordinary Needs Fund, but received $119,099.

— Belle Plaine USD 357 has reduced spending in the areas of technology, printing, and classroom supplies. The district is utilizing capital outlay funds for uniform purchases and software purchases. Textbook adoptions, uniform purchases, and equipment purchases have been deferred. Class sizes have increased to avoid hiring additional staff.
— Burrton USD 369 did not renew the contracts of four teachers. “As we’ve gotten closer to the end of the school year, our expenditures are exceeding expectations,” Superintendent Jeff Shearon said. “We’ve been carrying over less and less cash at the start of each year and we’re starting to notice an impact to that. It doesn’t help that we’re losing $50,000 in state funds. We knew we’d lose some but we didn’t expect the loss to be as dramatic as it was.”
— Clay County USD 379 recently approved $191,954 in cuts, which included the elimination of an elementary teacher, library aide, and instructional aide, in addition to other reductions.
— Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 announced it was not renewing the contracts of 17 teachers and one administrator. The district said the move was necessary because of reduced state aid and increased health insurance premiums. The district also is seeking voter approval to increase its local option budget authority to 33 percent from 30 percent.
— LaCrosse USD 395 plans on reducing one elementary school staff member, which will increase class size. The district also is considering cutting one more custodial position, after another custodial position had been eliminated due to retirement. Further reductions may come from eliminating field trips and making reductions in food service, transportation and athletics.
— Smoky Valley USD 400 in Lindsborg is ending the school year on May 15 instead of May 20. Julie Martin, business manager for the school district, said the early closure is the result of budget cuts throughout the current school year and will help the district save about $10,000. She said the district has never had to do this before.
— Chanute USD 413 plans to leave open two teaching positions, reduce a library position from a licensed position to a teacher-aide position, and decrease any salary increases that were planned for the 2015-16 school year.
— Louisburg USD 416 is sought $128,857 under the Extraordinary Need Fund and received $128,680.
— Auburn-Washburn USD 437 will conduct a mail-in ballot seeking to raise its Local Option Budget to 33 percent of the district’s general state aid, up from the current level of 30 percent.
— Skyline USD 438’s board approved a two-day reduction to the school year. In addition, Superintendent Mike Sanders resigned to save the district money and the district also cut a counselor and music teacher in addition to reassigning or reducing the hours of 18 employees. Earlier, Sanders sought and received $118,000 from the state, saying that without it, school district employees would not receive a June paycheck. Sanders said the funding is needed to offset the amount taken out of the current school budget from state aid.
— Shawnee Heights USD 450 is closing early.
— Central USD 462 has eliminated the diploma completion program, a bus route and reduced summer crew and delayed purchase of a vehicle.
— Winfield USD 465 officials are closing an intermediate school for fifth and sixth graders because of an anticipated $1.5 million cut from the state, declining enrollment and increasing special education costs. “We’re at that point where it is going to impact students in the classroom and certainly the teachers that are teaching those kids every day,” said Superintendent J.K. Campbell. In addition, the district’s board recently voted to end its contract with the South Central Kansas Education Service Center for a program that helps students 18 and older to graduate. Officials said the action was needed because of uncertainty about the block grant funding plan and the possibility of more cuts in the future.
— Arkansas City USD 470 requested $200,000 under the Extraordinary Needs Funds but received nothing from the State Finance Council.
— Eudora USD 491 is looking at budget cuts. Superintendent Steve Splichal wrote in a blog, “Flat funding with growing enrollment, together with increased operational expenses – have placed us in a position where we must consider a combination of district budget cuts and student fee increases. Flat funding is a product of the Kansas Legislature and our Governor.”
— Syracuse USD 494 is considering freezing salaries, reductions in staff, elimination of art and music programs, pay-to-play athletics, enrollment fees, pre-kindergarten and all-day kindergarten fees, elimination of field trips, increasing mill levy on both Local Option Budget and Capital Outlay, combining bus routes and increasing fees for technology and career tech-ed courses.
— Lawrence USD 497 was considering cuts and tax increases. Superintendent Rick Doll said the state’s fiscal situation raised “grave concerns about the district’s ability to maintain high quality educational programs and services.”
— Kansas City USD 500 Superintendent Cynthia Lane testified in the school finance court hearing that her district is holding open up to 30 support staff jobs, curtailing hours for as many as 80 more employees and is delaying repairs and renovations even though it holds some elementary school classes in boiler rooms and hallways. She also said the block grant formula does not account for enrollment growth, which in Kansas City has been average 500 students per year over the last four years, and it doesn’t provide additional funding for students with high needs.
— Topeka USD 501 is considering cuts and seeking a tax increase to offset a $1.6 million reduction in the current year.
— South Haven USD 509’s board voted to dismiss school three days early on May 15.