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“’It’s absolutely correct to say that overall spending is up,’ [KASB’s Mark] Tallman said. “ ‘In terms of total dollars, that’s correct. Why districts, though, are still feeling the pinch is because none of that is what allows you to pay salaries or hire teachers or add programs for kids or deal with operating costs.’ “Tallman also noted that the increased contributions to the pension fund have driven the total dollar increase. “’That’s why I think both sides, if you want to put it that way, are telling the truth. If your argument is we’re spending more money...

Another reason why funding levels are so important is that our schools are serving an increasing number of children living in poverty who come to school with additional needs. “The rising percentage of Kansas children who receive free or reduced-price lunches at school is a genuine trend linked to poverty, not a ploy to boost school funding, the Kansas Association of School Boards said Monday. “In an eight-page report, the association’s researchers analyzed the increase in Kansas schools of children who qualify for free or reduced lunch based on family incomes. “Mark Tallman, a lobbyist for the organization,...

A judge has ruled North Carolina’s $10 million Opportunity Scholarships unconstitutional. You may recall the harmful education bill passed at the end of the 2014 session in Kansas included a $10 million tax credit scholarship program. The Kansas legislation doesn’t provide a direct payment from the State General Fund but instead takes the money out as a tax credit, a distinction that may matter from a legal standpoint. However, the judge’s criticisms of the program reflect concerns we have about the Kansas program as well. “’The General Assembly fails the children of North Carolina when they are sent...