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Gov. Sam Brownback’s decision to reduce school funding for the current year by $28 million, or 1.5 percent, after previous promises to safeguard education dollars has sparked debate. Some lawmakers and residents have expressed anger over the cut to the schools’ current-year budget, but others agree with the governor that school spending ought to be reined in and say this offers an opportunity to reform the state’s school finance formula. Here are some numbers to consider when discussing school funding. $3,811 That’s the amount of base state aid per pupil after the governor’s reduction, a decrease of about...

We’re connecting the dots again today. The courts have been ordering the state to increase funding for schools. Our governor and legislature would currently prefer to lower taxes, even if it results in a decreased revenue stream, and fund schools according to what we can afford under that scenario. But the courts are holding them to the constitutional requirement that they provide suitable funding for public education (9 times so far). They’re frustrated by that and would like to change how justices are selected. (They changed how appeals court judges are selected last year.) Bills to change judicial...

When our governor and some of our legislators say that the allotment or other bills to reduce school funding are merely a “decrease to the increase” they are failing to mention that a large part of the increase was to comply with a court order after it was determined equalization funding levels were unconstitutionally low. The plaintiffs have filed a motion to revive the equity portion of the Gannon case. “Last year, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled on the first claim, ordering the state to restore full payments of equalization aid that go to districts with lower per-pupil...