From an editorial in The Manhattan Mercury: Instead of talk, how about money? Sam Brownback’s education advice gets cheaper by the word. It lost a little more value Tuesday when he was offering the state’s school districts some tips on how to improve the education they deliver to their students. The governor said schools ought to invest more money in classrooms, and they ought to do it at least in part by trimming administrative costs. “I think we really have to look at our back-office operations a lot more — what it is costing us to run the...
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Brownback claims school funding is sufficient
“Brownback’s comments came hours after Wichita district leaders got their first detailed look at next year’s budget, which is set at about $4 million less than last year’s expenditures. The budget raises local property taxes, freezes teacher salaries and cuts about $6.5 million in non-personnel spending. “Answering questions from reporters after the speech at the Wichita Marriott, Brownback said state funding for education – including funds for low-income and other at-risk children – is sufficient.” Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/local/education/article30710871.html...
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Leave a Comment 21 districts seek extraordinary need funding
How’s that block grant funding working out? Not so well. “Twenty one school districts in Kansas are seeking emergency funding from the state after budget-cut problems are made worse by dropping fuel prices. “The falling prices at the pump have caused property values to drop for oil wells across Kansas. School districts get their money from property taxes, so many districts say their value dropped significantly along with the oil prices… “The 21 districts requesting the emergency funding include Wakeeney, Moscow, Deerfield, Rolla, Hodgeman County, South Barber, Plainville, Quinter, Ness City, St. John-Hudson, Woodson, Burrton, Sublette, Russell, Hoisington,...
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Leave a Comment KASB explains cash balances
Over the years, we’ve heard complaints about school districts’ cash balances or reserve funds. Our own experience has been that those lump funds hide specific needs or planned spending and varies throughout the year (i.e., you can look at the funds on one date and see a very high balance because of a planned outlay but if you look at a later date, you would see a very different picture). KASB explains cash balances in this helpful piece. “Each July, Kansas school boards receive reports from their superintendents on the unencumbered cash balance of specific funds as of...
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