SB 171 on moving elections has now passed out of committee. It provides for nonpartisan elections for cities and school boards in November of odd-numbered years. As we expressed earlier, although this bill is an improvement over the original, it doesn’t solve any problems, still has school board primaries in August, when many families with school-aged children are on vacation, and has school board members take office in January in the middle of the school year. We also remain concerned that this bill will just be the first step in accomplishing the goals of the original bill. In...
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Cash balances not absurd
“A state Senate leader [Terry Bruce] thinks some school districts’ cash reserves ‘are just absurd.’ A House subcommittee votes not just to reject state universities’ funding requests but also to chastise them for the ‘absurdity’ of the proposals. “In reality, what’s absurd is that architects of our state’s budget crisis would urge school districts – once scolded for not having businesslike reserves – to get busy and spend down their balances. And it’s unimaginable if Kansas is now a place where Board of Regents institutions are expected to be grateful for whatever flat or reduced support the state...
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Leave a Comment State officially appeals Gannon
The State has officially appealed the Gannon adequacy decision. “Since the panel’s ruling, Gov. Sam Brownback has reduced school funding 1.5 percent in the face of a budget shortfall, dropping the amount of base state aid per pupil from $3,852 to $3,811. “This move prompted Schools for Fair Funding, the group that represents districts pushing for more funding, to seek to reopen the already-settled part of the lawsuit that deals with equity among districts. The matter will go before the three-judge panel on March 5, said John Robb, the group’s attorney. “’We look forward to the Supreme Court...
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Leave a Comment Sign petition to protect KS courts
Clicking on this link will allow you to input your address and generate an email to your legislator automatically urging them to vote no on the two bills to amend the Kansas Constitution provisions on judicial selection. Judicial selection is directly related to school funding. We do not want justices to be subject to a litmus test based on whether they would support judicial intervention on school funding cases. Urge your legislators to vote NO on HCR 5004 and 5005. “Our courts are too important for politics as usual. I want our Kansas Supreme Court to be remain...
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