“Cory Gibson, the superintendent for Valley Center, said in an e-mail that school districts ‘were assured that the extraordinary fund would be there as a ‘safety net’ for growth, but this appears once again to be a failed promise by some lawmakers.’… “Brownback’s budget director, Shawn Sullivan, had proposed setting a 1 percent enrollment increase as the threshold. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, made a motion to approve this proposal, but it was voted down by every Republican on the committee, including Brownback… “The old school finance formula would have automatically adjusted for increases in enrollment. The...
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Districts charged for extraordinary needs funding but not receiving funding back
“But Bonner Springs Superintendent Dan Brungardt questioned the process. He pointed out to the council that the extraordinary-need fund was financed by the school districts. The block grant formula sets aside 0.4 percent from each district to create the fund. “His district had paid about $52,000 into the fund, he said, and under the budget director’s recommendation would have received about $55,000 to help pay for its enrollment increase of 39. In effect, he told the council, ‘that’s only $3,000 for an additional 39 students.’ “Sen. Ty Masterson of Andover, a council member, responded that the 0.4 percent...
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Leave a Comment District aid requests trimmed
On August 24th, the State Finance Council didn’t give any district all of the funding they requested. Instead they assigned discount percentages to the requests, including only giving funding for population growths over 2% based on Sen. Susan Wagle’s recommendation. “’You look at most businesses in Kansas,’ Wagle said, ‘whether they’re technology, whether its recreation, hotel, restaurant. Doesn’t really matter what type of business it is. They are used to accommodating with specific personnel a fluctuation in their clientele.’ “’Two percent above last year’s enrollment can easily be accommodated in the classroom I would think,’ Wagle said, ‘and...
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Leave a Comment KCK letter to state says budget measures are cuts, not efficiencies
“It would be inaccurate to describe these cuts as ‘efficiencies;’ rather, they were cuts to programs, staff and activities that were essential to student outcomes. However, we could no longer afford them.” See this report here: http://www.kshb.com/news/state/kansas/kansas-city-kansas-public-schools-sends-letter-to-state-about-need-for-extra-funding Here’s the link to the letter: http://media.kshb.com/pdf/KCK%20Response%20to%20State%20Finance%20Council.pdf?_ga=1.22693371.1327278612.1417195414...
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