This is important reading. Even for districts that will probably be able to increase their local property tax with the new cap on LOB, the new funding will not approach restoring the recession-era cuts faced by those same districts. It will surely be featured on postcards claiming the legislators voting for the bill with the elimination of teacher due process and establishment of ALEC corporate tax credit scholarships voted to increase funding. http://www.kansascity.com/2014/04/09/4949056/extra-taxing-authority-wont-offset.html...
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PV Post reports Rep. Rooker heartsick over results of education finance bill
“’We took money away from students at risk across the state – gutted (that funding) in favor of corporate tax credits,’ she said. The two categories of at-risk that were removed from the school finance formula are for students who are non-proficient (by testing) and those who are part-time or over 19. That saves the state more than $8 million while up to $10 million can be awarded in tax credits. Corporations could get a 70 percent credit for donating to organizations that grant scholarships to certain students – special needs or Title I – who move from...
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Leave a Comment Olathe school board member Amy Martin explains importance of public schools for children with special needs
This is from our friends at Defend the American Dream – Kansas Public Schools: “I get very concerned when I hear talk in the legislature of diverting critical public education dollars to private schools in the form of “scholarships” (the latest euphemism for vouchers) for special needs students like Katie. And I get downright crazy when the proposals shield private schools from the laws that specify the services they must provide to their special needs students. Just think about that for a minute. A private school could boost their numbers (and their bottom line) by taking advantage of...
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Leave a Comment Capital Journal editorial calls out inclusion of bad policy
“Legislators now are on an extended break that precedes their return to the Capitol for the regular wrap-up session. But they should take no pride in the work they did over the weekend, regardless of what anyone thinks of the final product. Some of the measures included in the school finance bill, and some that didn’t make the final cut, should have been introduced in their own right earlier in the session when they would have subjected to debate at the committee level by the proper body and, perhaps, debated on the House and Senate floors. As is...
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