This article provides some background and some ideas about what the future holds as the Gannon case proceeds. “In 2005, during battles over the last school finance lawsuit, the Kansas Supreme Court threatened to close the state’s schools unless the Legislature appropriated more money, saying it could not allow the state to continue operating an unconstitutional funding system. “Conservative Republicans who led the Kansas House at that time dug in their heels, at first refusing to comply with the court’s order, which they said violated the separation of powers doctrine. “But in 2005, there were enough Democrats and...
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School officials face budget challenges
“School officials across Kansas say they are cutting programs, raising fees and tightening budgets in other ways in response to an overhaul of the state’s education finance system. “In Valley Center, the grass outside school buildings will grow a little higher this year as summer maintenance positions are eliminated. “In Andover, families may write bigger checks at enrollment time. “In Wichita, Maize, Goddard and elsewhere, unfilled teaching positions could mean more crowded classrooms or fewer options for upper-level classes. “A handful of districts, including Haven, have cut their school years short by a week or more, citing budget...
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Leave a Comment State attorney says not required to have perfect funding or best education
Ad astra per aspera or just ad mediocritas? “Kansas is not required by its constitution to have a perfect education funding system or the nation’s best, an attorney for the state told a district court panel Friday as it considered whether to block the state’s new school finance law. “’It is not the obligation of the state to come up with the best or a perfect system,’ [Attorney Arthur] Chalmers said.” Read more here: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2015/may/08/education-officials-testify-kansas-school-funding-/...
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Leave a Comment No district getting more operating money under block grant
“The state Education Department’s top finance official testified Friday that no school district in Kansas gets more operating money under Gov. Sam Brownback’s block grant funding system. “After mandatory payments to the state’s public employee retirement fund are factored out, every district that qualified for state equalization payments will get less from the block grants than under the previous school finance formula, Deputy Education Commissioner Dale Dennis testified. “Statewide, ‘the difference is about $53 million (less),’ he said.” Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article20517021.html...
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