Important Information about Kansas Public Education
by Darrel Stufflebeam
July 23, 2010
The Kansas Association of School Boards recently held a series of meeting around the state to inform the public about important matters relating to Kansas public education. You can see all of the details by viewing this PowerPoint presentation: Student Achievement in Tough Economic Times
Here are some of the highlights you can learn the details about:
- The state constitution requires public education to be “suitably” funded and locally operated.
- The state lost a state Supreme Court school funding case in 2006 because their own studies consistently showed that, considering the huge new and expensive mandates placed upon it over the past few decades, public education was grossly under funded. Funding has been drastically cut since then due to the recession.
- Most increases in school funding have been for targeted groups like at-risk or disabled students or for bond projects in some school districts.
- Operating funds for schools have barely kept up with inflation over the past ten years and then only because of increases in Local Option Budgets.
- Nearly all school funds are spent directly on classroom costs or things that directly support the classroom.
- Kansas School districts are very diverse in regard to wealth and size.
- Education is the key to lifetime earnings.
- School districts must keep prudent cash reserves in order to pay their bills on time and prepare for expected or unexpected costs.
- Kansas is among the top ten states in the nation in regard to student achievement but is one of the lowest cost-per-pupil states.
