We’ve seen a lot of misinformation on the block grants and operational funding. Please read and re-read this post and then share it.

“Over a 5-year period that’s an increase of $257 million, but what does that increase pay for?

“The numbers from the Comparison Report show that aid went up in 4 categories, [KPERS, Local Option Budget Aid (which mainly lowered local property taxes and did not increase funding available to schools, Capital Improvement Aid, and Capital Outlay Aid (in response to the Supreme Court Gannon decision]…

“State aid for classrooms has actually gone down in the 5-year period covered by the chart, even when the amount set aside for ‘extraordinary needs’ is included in the FY 2016 total. Yet enrollment in that period went up by 6,420 students. Costs for things like electricity, transportation, salaries, and supplies also went up.

“Classroom aid goes down, but costs go up. Of course school districts are going to seek more funding. Under the now-expired school finance formula, a rise in enrollment brought more funding to a district. With block grants, school districts must appeal to the Finance Council, but have no assurance that the larger enrollment will be covered.

“And what about next year? The costs that school districts face will keep going up, but the block grant will stay flat, and that’s the best-case scenario. The state’s financial outlook is so tenuous that even flat funding may not be possible.

“This block grant system is not a recipe for creating world-class schools. It allows lawmakers to say they put more money into the classroom, but they didn’t.”

Read the whole post here: http://realprosperityks.com/goossen-block-grants-are-a-bad-recipe/