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“To cope, 62 superintendents are doing double duty. Duane Dorshorst serves as both superintendent and an elementary school principal at the 370-student Oberlin Unified School District 294 in northwestern Kansas. “’I haven’t been able to give my staff a raise in three years,’ he said. ‘It’s harder to attract people, especially good-quality teachers, when the deficit is already there.’ “A drop in state aid also meant tough choices for Smoky Valley Superintendent Glen Suppes, who froze and then reduced teacher salaries, did away with field trips, required parents to pay a half-day of kindergarten, cut coaches and tightened...

“Overall” funding is up, but so are unfunded mandates. “On top of the state failing to fund local districts and special education at statutory levels, both state and federal requirements often place additional burdens on districts without additional funding. These ‘unfunded mandates’ put districts in difficult positions, increasing the cost of doing business and the amount of reporting paperwork the district must complete to show compliance with the requirements…[S]tate and federal legislatures add new requirements almost yearly to deal with perceived problems. “USD 413 Superintendent James Hardy and Assistant Superintendent Diane Watkins shared examples of unfunded and underfunded...

This does not bode well for education funding. “Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s fiscal policies were dealt an apparent blow Friday when the Kansas Department of Revenue reported state tax receipts came in $23 million short of projections in October and $46.5 million short for the first four months of the fiscal year.” http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2014/oct/31/kansas-tax-collections-fall-23m-short-october/...

We remember these promises, too. Some who made them are still in office. USD 413 Superintendent James “Hardy remembers local legislators coming to school boards during the recession that started in 2008 and telling them the whole state was hurting and school districts would have to take a cut. “I remember our legislators saying ‘when things get better we will bring you back to $4,400,’” Hardy said. “Those people have all been beaten in elections because our state took a sharp turn to the right.” “Hardy said the final amount of increased funds from the Montoy decision was...