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“The ranking minority member on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka, said it’s clearly a significant cut in school funding, potentially more than $100 million. “She said it appears the budget writers essentially froze school revenues at the current level while requiring local districts to pick up pension expenses. “In addition, she said it appeared part of the plan redefines some local property tax money as part of the state’s contribution to education. “The state is essentially telling school districts ‘we’re going to give you back your own money and make you pay for...

Sen. Pres. Susan Wagle says K-12 funding is killing the budget. We think irresponsible tax policy is killing public education. “‘A crisis is an opportunity,” [Wagle] said. ‘We have three cost drivers that are really killing our budget. One is K-12 formula. One is the KPERS (state pension system) debt. And the other is increases in Medicaid. And I believe he wants to structurally address those issues in his second term.’…During the speech, more than 100 teachers lined the entry hall to the House chamber, holding their hands up in a symbolic raising of hands for school children…Johnson...

“Rupe said the governor is forcing local school districts to pick up additional costs while telling them to make do with an unconstitutional funding level. “Mark Tallman, lobbyist for the Kansas Association of School Boards, cautioned that freezing funding levels — even for a short time — could force districts to absorb rising expenses such as increasing enrollment, special student populations and pension contributions. “‘Even though it appears to be level funding, the actual impact (on) school operations is going to be a negative,’ Tallman said. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/government-politics/article7058147.html#storylink=cpy...