“’We serve our community as school board members,’ [Board member Richard Zamora] said. ‘This is not a paid position; we do it because we care about the kids. A big election would potentially require board members to spend a significant amount of money, and moving school board elections to November would increase those costs.’… “It was announced last Thursday that USD 458 would incur a 1.5 percent reduction in its budget effective June 30. This is a decrease of $115,000 dollars for the district, meaning per student resources would be reduced from $3,852 to $3,811. “’Governor Brownback made...
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School boards and city councils urged to oppose moving elections
“Every local school board, city council and city commission in Kansas should be sending the same message to their legislators that the Lawrence City Commission and school board sent this week. “School Board President Shannon Kimball and Mayor Mike Amyx have sent letters to Kansas legislators opposing a bill that would turn local elections into partisan contests. The switch would be part of a measure that also would move those elections to November in even-numbered years and combine them with state and national races. “Two letters from elected officials in Lawrence are unlikely to put a halt to...
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Leave a Comment New York Times covers Kansas education cuts
Our education shell game is national news. “On Tuesday, after signing the bill that allowed for the cuts and cash transfers to fill this year’s deficit, Mr. Brownback again urged lawmakers to rewrite the formula used to provide aid to the neediest school districts. If the Legislature saves money by doing so, he asserted, it could restore the $28 million in cuts to K-12 public schools that he called for this month. The governor has also asked lawmakers to overhaul the means for financing schools in general.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/us/politics/education-is-newest-target-of-kansas-budget-cuts.html?_r=1...
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Leave a Comment Brownback and districts at odds over cuts and reserves
“Overall, Brownback noted in his statement on the funding change, even with the cut schools are receiving $177 million more this year than last. “That increase in large part was driven by a Kansas Supreme Court ruling that called for the state to increase public school funding. “The midyear cut, however, hits schools after their budgets and payroll obligations are established for the year…The current school year’s contingency funds — including about $8.3 million in Kansas City, Kan., $5.6 million in Shawnee Mission, $9.7 million in Olathe and $11.2 million in Blue Valley — would be needed to...
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