Please read this for an example of how school districts are being treated and school finance numbers are being manipulated. “At best, these statements are irresponsible, demonstrating the lack of due diligence and fact finding every citizen of this state should expect from our governor. At worst, they are intentional downright lies with the sole purpose to pursue a political agenda without morals; akin to a scorched earth, take-no-prisoners attitude. Neither is acceptable from our state’s highest officeholder… “Our governor wants us to believe that USD 457’s spending actually increased 9 percent from the 2013-14 to the 2014-15...
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Game On statement on June 2015 Gannon decision
“This is not an example of an activist court, but of a court attempting to hold a reluctant legislature to its constitutional obligation to fund schools appropriately. We understand that the current decision has already been appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court and hope that a decision will be issued from that court before our children finish yet another school year. We are also particularly disappointed in the reactions of many of our legislative leaders and our governor to the Gannon decision and hope that Kansans will remember that these leaders are expressing anger about being required to...
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Leave a Comment School funding flunks test
We agree with this editorial completely. “A three-judge panel just told Gov. Sam Brownback and the Legislature what most school districts [and the Game On team] already knew – that the block-grant funding bill flunks the test for adequacy and equity. “The governor and lawmakers tried to do an end run around the judiciary this spring by repealing the 23-year-old school-finance formula before the Kansas Supreme Court had a chance to rule on the constitutionality of current state funding for schools in the 5-year-old Gannon lawsuit brought by districts. “But on Friday the three-judge panel in Shawnee County...
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Leave a Comment Court strikes key provisions of block grant system
“A three-judge district court panel ruled Friday that the state’s new block grant system of funding schools is unconstitutional, and it ordered the state to immediately pay nearly $49.6 million to local school districts to restore money that was cut from the current year’s budget when lawmakers passed a new school funding system in March. “The state also will have to add that much each of the next two years, the court said. “The court also struck down key provisions of the new law that change the way certain kinds of ‘equalization’ aid for general operations and maintenance...
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