Kansas PTA

715 SW 10th Street, Topeka KS 66612

www.kansas-pta-legislative.org kansaspta@gmail.com

Testimony to House Committee on Education

Honorable Chair, Representative Ron Highland, DVM, PhD Sue Mollenkamp, Committee Assistant, 785-296-7310 Sue.Mollenkamp@house.ks.gov Room 112-N
Hearing, 1:30 pm Location: 112-N, Mon, Feb 1, 2016

Written Testimony from the Kansas PTA
Opposed to HB2486 – School District Bond state oversite Review Board

Chairman Highland and Committee Members,

Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony regarding HB2486 – state mandated school district bond review board.

The Kansas PTA encourages committee members to oppose this bill in favor of a more thorough analysis of alternative solutions. Kansas PTA recognizes the state’s need to minimize the fiscal challenges associated with equalizing aid for capital outlay. However, a state oversite review board of local bond decisions:

a). would further embed partisan procedures into the school finance of public education

b). and, is in contradiction to the Kansas Constitution, Article 6, Sections 2 and 5 that grant authority for such decisions to school boards and local voters.

Beginning with the latter, the Kansas Constitution allocates the authority of public education decision-making to locally and state elected, non-partisan school board members. Section 2 of the constitution states that the state board of education “shall have general supervision of public schools, educational institutions and all the educational interests of the state…” Section 5 of the constitution indicates that “local public schools under the general supervision of the state board of education shall be maintained, developed and operated by locally elected boards” (Article 6).

Kansas PTA will support efforts to preserve the Kansas Constitutional infrastructure for education … retaining the primary responsibility of … the education governance structure (Kansas School Board, Kansas Department of Education, education scholars and practitioners; KS PTA Legislative Priority 3).

Just last year, Kansas used a non-partisan process to cooperatively achieve the development and passage of the Professional Negotiations Act. Help invest in quality education in our K-12 public schools by authorizing such a cooperative effort to draft a solution to managing the fiscal challenge of providing equalize aid for capital outlwy. Join in the call for partnership, not partisanship. The future of Kansas youth is at stake. (Read this powerful Joint Statement of KASB, USA, KSSA, KNEA on start of 2016 Legislative Session). Kansas PTA urges the state legislature to invite the input of key education stakeholder groups within the context of a non- partisan solution to the variability of state effort required to equalize financial aid for capital outlay to districts with low property wealth.

On behalf of the parents, teachers, and patrons of the Kansas PTA, we oppose this bill and encourage a bi-partisan resolution to the fiscal challenges created by the provision of equalization for capital outlay. We thank you for your time and consideration.

Denise Sultz, Kansas PTA President

kansaspta@gmail.com @KsPTALeg

THE PTA POSITION

Cc: Josh Halperin, VP of Advocacy
Devin Wilson, State Legislative Co-Chair
Mary Sinclair, PhD, Kansas PTA Advocacy Team

Kansas PTA is a nonpartisan association that promotes the welfare of children and youth. The PTA does not endorse any candidate or political party. Rather, we advocate for policies and legislation that affect Kansas youth in alignment with our legislative platform and priorities. Our mission and values have remained the same since our inception over 100 years ago: to facilitate every child’s potential by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.