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A new report from KASB shows spending on education matters. “The amount of spending (total revenue per pupil, current spending per pupil, and spending on instruction per pupil; in actual dollars, adjusted for inflation, and adjusted for regional cost of living), is a significant predictor of almost all outcome measures, including all NAEP math and reading scores, college readiness tests and high school completion. Higher spending is a significant predictor of outcomes even when adjusted for the percent of low-income students tested (NAEP) or the percentage of students participating in the test (ACT and SAT).” http://www.kasb.org/assets/Research/RREdFunding0914.pdf...

Those who oppose increasing school funding like to compare funding and staffing now to 2005, which is before the Supreme Court ruled Kansas school funding was unconstitutionally low and ordered an increase. Montoy has not been overturned, and Gannon is pending, making comparison to 2005 (as opposed to pre-recession 2009) questionable. KASB’s Mark Tallman explains that even comparing to 2005, funding outpacing inflation is not excessive. “Why do Kansas schools need more money if funding has exceeded inflation? Because employment costs, total enrollment and special needs students and student achievement goals are all increasing more than inflation.” We...