Kansas budget notes education groups to receive funding

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s new budget proposal fully funds the school finance act passed by the Kansas Legislature and approved by the Kansas Supreme Court as constitutional.

Education organizations across the state strongly support her plan, expressing concern over the impact COVID-19 has had on learning.

The investments made possible by the bipartisan school finance act are expected to help Kansas students recover and restore Kansas’ position as an educational leader.

With these dollars and additional resources, districts will be able to increase instructional spending on teachers, paraprofessional and classroom aides and other direct teaching costs by $536 million, and restore other student and teacher supports services like counselors, nurses and mental health, libraries, and expand technology by $188 million.

Included in these dollars, previous budget funding of $275 million was spent exclusively on high needs students in special education, at-risk and bilingual programs. Other funding supported general education and services to all students.

From 2009 to 2017, school district general funds, local option budget funds and special education state aid had fallen $577 million behind inflation. The school finance plan has begun to make up that gap, with a goal of reaching 2009 inflation-adjusted levels by 2023.

New funding for education included in Kelly’s budget proposal include the associations and boards below:

Kansas Association of School Boards

Kansas School Superintendents Association

Kansas National Education Association

Kansas Parents as Teachers Association

Kansas State Board of Education

Kansas State Parent Teacher Association

Schools for Fair Funding

Schools for Quality Education

United School Administrators of Kansas

Game on For Kansas Schools