“Cynthia Lane, the superintendent of Kansas City, Kansas, schools… said that the block grant, which would tie funding levels to current appropriations, would cap resources and only give districts flexibility in deciding what to cut. “Rep. Gene Suellentrop, R-Wichita, questioned a representative from the Kansas Association of School Boards about how districts could say they were underfunded when overall spending has increased consistently over the past 20 years. “‘What is enough?’ Suellentrop said. ‘Where’s the end? How much do we owe?’… “Rep. Don Hill, R-Emporia, called this provision the ‘don’t worry, be happy’ section and complained that the...
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Game On reaches 6,000 Facebook likes
On March 9, 2015 Game On celebrated its 6,000th Facebook “like”. Here’s the Facebook post we did: Game On community, we thank you for all your likes, shares and comments and for stepping up your efforts in advocating for our children’s education. Speaking in my own voice now as the usual administrator of this page, I’m a Kansas mom of three, and it’s my birthday tomorrow. Getting to 6,000 likes would be a great present! We’re almost there! Can you grant me my wish and ask a friend or two to like our page and “get in the...
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Leave a Comment Game On opposes block grant bill
The House Appropriations hearing on the block grant bill was held earlier today. There were only 3 proponents (all with a free-market, low-tax ideology that appears to trump all other concerns): the Kansas Policy Institute, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce (which should not be confused with local area chambers) and Kansans for Liberty. KASB, Kansas PTA, Game On and multiple districts are among those opposing the bill. Here’s part of our testimony: We oppose House Bill 2403 on multiple grounds. This bill does not help Kansas schools meet the needs of Kansas students better than the current formula....
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Leave a Comment Concern over block grant bill in House Appropriations
The block grant bill was heard in the House Appropriations Committee on March 9 and will be heard in the Senate Ways and Means Committee March 10. Contact House Appropriations members here: Ron.Ryckman@house.ks.gov, Sharon.Schwartz@house.ks.gov, Jerry.Henry@house.ks.gov, Barbara.Ballard@house.ks.gov, John.Barker@house.ks.gov, Sydney.Carlin@house.ks.gov, Will.Carpenter@house.ks.gov, JRClaeys@house.ks.gov, Gail.Finney@house.ks.gov, Amanda.Grosserode@house.ks.gov, Ron.Highland@house.ks.gov, Don.Hill@house.ks.gov, Kyle.Hoffman@house.ks.gov, Mark.Hutton@house.ks.gov, Mark.Kahrs@house.ks.gov, Marvin.Kleeb@house.ks.gov, Jerry.Lunn@house.ks.gov, Charles.Macheers@house.ks.gov, Virgil.Peck@house.ks.gov, Richard.Proehl@house.ks.gov, Gene.Suellentrop@house.ks.gov, Troy.Waymaster@house.ks.gov, Kathy.WolfeMoore@house.ks.gov “‘The problem is the block grants aren’t connected to what it actually costs to educate students,’ says KCK Chief of Staff David Smith. “The block grants also provide no extra money for districts whose students need special services, such as learning English. That’s a...
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