“[T]he 49,498 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade represent the largest enrollment in more than 10 years. Area districts including Goddard, Maize, Andover, Haysville, Derby and Valley Center reported their own increases.

“Higher enrollment used to lead to more funding from Topeka, but the 2015 Legislature repealed the long-standing school-finance formula and kept funding at 2014-15 levels. And a state panel set a threshold of a 2 percent enrollment increase to qualify for help from a new ‘extraordinary needs’ fund. It also deferred USD 259’s request for $980,000 more aid related to the influx of refugee families placed in Wichita.

“Just how districts are supposed to manage on frozen funding amid growing enrollment, utility, benefit and other costs is a question for the governor and legislators. The courts also will weigh in.”

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/opinion/editorials/article36871998.html