Education Commissioner Randy Watson has been touring the state with the results of recent discussions about what Kansans want from their public schools. Here’s a recap from a recent meeting in Olathe. “‘What we know Kansans are telling us is that, yes, students have to have good academic skills, but they also have to be able to apply those skills,’ Watson said. ‘It is about not being out of balance.’… “That message, he said, is far from the No Child Left Behind model that schools have operated under for the last decade, where states set academic benchmarks related...
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Moody’s school district warning no surprise
“It wasn’t surprising that Moody’s Investors Service issued a ‘credit negative’ warning for Kansas school districts last week. Despite claims to the contrary by GOP lawmakers and Gov. Sam Brownback, the new block-grant funding system is inadequate and inequitable. “What’s more, continued state revenue shortfalls raise concerns about the stability of school funding… “When it was proposed, GOP legislative leaders claimed that it would be good for schools. Sen. Ty Masterson, R-Andover, said that no school should have to cut a planned expense, arguing the block-grant system gives districts the flexibility to cover their expenses. “But districts throughout...
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Leave a Comment Kansas economy still cause for concern
“This trend obviously doesn’t bode well for the state. The budget approved for the fiscal year is based on predicted tax revenue for the year. If revenues continue to fall below the predictions, the state may once again be forced to make arbitrary midyear cuts to meet its expenses….Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research reported that the Kansas economy is growing much more slowly than in the rest of the nation and likely would remain sluggish next year…Another report that included nine Midwestern and Plains states also indicated a slowdown in the region’s economy…....
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Leave a Comment SMSD expresses concern about Meadowbrook TIF
Impacts of the block grant are showing up in multiple ways, including Shawnee Mission School District’s concern about the proposed TIF for the Meadowbrook development. Sharing from Rep. Melissa Rooker’s Facebook: “From the article, a quote from Dr. Hinson, SMSD superintendent: ‘From my perspective, the Meadowbrook development — that plan is a great plan. Will it draw additional students? Yes, which is great. Then the question becomes, who funds it?’ Fact: Before our school finance formula was repealed and replaced with SB 7 Block Grant funding, freezing funding at last year’s levels no matter what demographic changes occur,...
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