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“In fact, for many school districts including Lawrence, the bill as a whole would result in a net loss of state funding because the additional money in so-called “equalization aid” would not result in any new spending authority, but instead would replace money currently being raised through local property taxes.” http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2014/mar/25/school-finance-bill-cuts-transportation-aid/ Leadership cannot contemplate restoring equity funding for schools without taking other funding away. Our schools are still feeling the impact of recession-era cuts, but we’re supposed to accept further cuts. That’s part of why we’re walking to Topeka....

“Rhoades said he would welcome Democratic votes on the school finance bill, but the minority party’s current position of all new funding with no strings attached would be a non-starter for the Republican House majority. Rhoades said getting the majority to agree to even $70-90 million in new annual funding is ‘going to be really hard’ and so the amount of new money allocated versus the amount shifted from other sources to get to $129 million remains in flux. ‘There’s all kinds of things on the table about how do we minimize the new money, but how do we...

“Rep. Marc Rhoades, a Newton Republican and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said Republicans are trying to limit the amount of new money that goes into complying with the court order. Rhoades said it would be a ‘real chore’ to get a majority of Republicans to agree to spend tens of millions of dollars more in new money on schools.” So we are to understand that it is completely unreasonable to restore equity to poor districts and fund all-day kindergarten, which a majority of Kansas parents value? That’s part of why we’re walking to Topeka. Read more here:http://www.kansascity.com/2014/03/25/4916132/funding-for-all-day-kindergarten.html#storylink=cpy...

Kansans need solutions for Kansans, not ALEC bills. http://www.winfieldcourier.com/opinion/editorial/article_51bd0f9e-b3c8-11e3-a748-0019bb2963f4.html...