“Finding the revenue to pass a two-year budget should not be lawmakers’ only concern. Back home in their districts, many schools are suffering serious consequences from the recently approved block-grant bill, which repealed the two-decade-old school-finance formula. Some are ending the semester early, cutting programs, raising fees or a combination. The superintendent of the Skyline district in Pratt County even resigned Wednesday to save the district his $81,000 salary, on top of $477,000 in other personnel cutbacks. “And more cuts could be coming, as the Senate Ways and Means Committee advanced legislation that would counter falling oil-and-gas valuations...
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KASB running account of school district budget cuts as of May 15, 2015
From KASB: School districts across Kansas are reporting that they are making budget cuts or other adjustments because of state funding problems under the new block grant finance plan. Supporters of the new block grant school finance plan say it increases total funding to public schools, gives districts more flexibility in how it can spend state dollars and will provide stability to school funding. KASB research shows the dollar increases from the state are for the most part bottled up in employer pension funding and property tax relief. That doesn’t buy books and supplies, nor does it take...
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Leave a Comment Block grant funding may see cut soon
One reason we opposed the block grants was that we did not believe they would provide the certainty and stability of funding that was promised. “Less than two months after lawmakers passed a controversial bill that replaced the state’s school finance formula with locked-in funding amounts, a Senate panel Thursday passed a motion that critics say risks reducing those amounts. “The motion would leave unaddressed an unexpected $30 million revenue shortage. “’It’s obviously disappointing because most districts did not support the block grants but were told at least you can count on this’ amount of funding, said Mark...
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Leave a Comment Four Burrton teacher contracts not renewed as cost-cutting measure
“Four Burrton teachers did not have their contracts renewed when the USD 369 school board met on Monday night in what superintendent Jeff Shearon called ‘a cost-cutting measure, pure and simple.’ “Librarian Marci Shearon, first grade teacher Amber Kline and physical education teacher Dylan Pohlman did not have their contracts renewed, while preschool teacher Renee Waters will continue next year, but with a decreased number of classes… “Although Shearon had previously promised that staff would not suffer as a result of state funding issues, the cuts came deeper than anticipated, forcing a change of plan.” The link to...
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