Blog

From our friends at Educate Lawrence, “The legislature’s block grant to Lawrence schools has placed our school district in a stressful financial position. Thanks to our school board for making the difficult decision to increase local property taxes to partially address the $1.2 million budget crisis caused by Governor Brownback and our legislative leaders. Adequately funding our public schools is an investment in economic development, an educated workforce, and our future community leaders.” Read more here: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2015/aug/10/school-board-approves-property-tax-increase-looks-/...

“As Wichita school board members got their first detailed look at a proposed budget Monday, a few words kept popping up: Scary. Frightening. Tight. Really tight. “The $648 million budget for 2015-16 – about $35 million less than last year’s budget and $4 million less than last year’s expenditures – cuts some programs and expenses, raises property taxes and freezes teacher pay. “’There isn’t a whole lot, other than people, that we can start cutting after this,’ said board member Sheril Logan. ‘And that scares me.’” Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/local/education/article30669207.html...

“There’s a new ad campaign that is sarcastic but funny and reflects something real: many public schools and teachers don’t nearly enough resources. “#SaidNoSchoolEver is being promoted by Hefty, the trash bag company, and the Havas Worldwide Chicago ad agency, with 30-second spots in which teachers say things such as: “I love spending my own money on supplies” “Cutting arts and music programs is worth the savings” “This map — from 1913. Almost all of the states are there.” “More funding for schools? Nah, we’re good.” “The campaign promotes Box Tops for Education, a program that raises money...

“In just a few months, a Catholic foundation has raised more than half a million dollars under a controversial new program to fund private school education for scores of low-income children in northeast Kansas, including Topeka and the Kansas City area. “The Catholic Education Foundation is the largest of five organizations that have stepped forward to join Kansas’ first foray into a national movement championed by some and scorned by others, the goal of which is to increase access to private schools… “Skeptics question the transparency and accountability of many of the schools on this market, and the...