The Communications Director for Governor Sam Brownback sent an e-mail “Our Schools,” on Friday, August 28th. Below is a response from John Robb, Attorney, Schools for Fair Funding.

Governor Sam Brownback continues to preach that the sun is shining in Kansas regardless of the facts. It appears that he would continue to say this during a hurricane.

He denigrates the actions of 286 locally elected school boards who have been forced to cut classroom spending for our children. He calls their action “bombastic talk.” He claims credit for facility upgrades around the state which were due to bond issues and tax increases voted on by local patrons. He and the state had no hand in this. He takes credit for increases in teacher pay. The facts will show that these districts valued their staff and were only able to grant COLA increases because districts cut other necessities. Rob Peter to pay Paul only because it is required to keep the staff we have left. KPI would call these salary increases “inefficient” because you might have been able to force the teachers to work for less.

The Governor touts the recent extraordinary need process as something good. It was a pure political exercise. It is shameful to grant property tax relief for loss of oil valuation while ignoring enrollment increases. Again, it is tax breaks over the kids. Governor Brownback can say that the districts have the resources needed to educate our children. The facts are otherwise. The hubris does not stop.

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John S. Robb

Somers, Robb & Robb

http://schoolsforfairfunding.org/2015/08/29/our-schools-schools-for-fair-funding-response/