By 2015, Kansas K-12 education will have been cut over $1,000 since 2008. That’s more than $100 per year. And it’s all thanks to Gov. Brownback and the Kansas GOP who doubled down on more education cuts when they “passed a plan this past weekend to drain the state’s reserves, cut taxes for the rich, raise taxes for many lower-income families, and slash education in the process. The state is on a path to ruin unless it changes course.” (Source)
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By 2015, Kansas K-12 education will have been cut over $1,000 since 2008. That’s more than $100 per year. And it’s all thanks to Gov. Brownback and the Kansas GOP who doubled down on more education cuts when they “passed a plan this past weekend to drain the state’s reserves, cut taxes for the rich, raise taxes for many lower-income families, and slash education in the process.

The state is on a path to ruin unless it changes course.”

(Source)

Court: Kansas funding for schools unconstitutionally low State funding for public schools is unconstitutionally low, according to a court ruling released Friday in response to a complicated education finance lawsuit. The decision could have a major impact on the upcoming legislative session as lawmakers look to adjust school funding and potentially trim state spending to accommodate major income tax cuts Gov. Sam Brownback signed into law last year. Attorney General Derek Schmidt said he would appeal the ruling to the Kansas Supreme Court. The ruling calls for lawmakers to essentially start their education finance conversations all over, using the 2008 session as a starting point. That’s when lawmakers, prompted by a 2006 Kansas Supreme Court ruling, approved a law requiring the state to provide $4,492 in per-pupil base state aid. The state’s per-pupil aid peaked at $4,400 in 2009 and has fallen. It fell to $3,780 in 2012. Last year, lawmakers approved an increase to $3,838.
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Court: Kansas funding for schools unconstitutionally low

State funding for public schools is unconstitutionally low, according to a court ruling released Friday in response to a complicated education finance lawsuit.

The decision could have a major impact on the upcoming legislative session as lawmakers look to adjust school funding and potentially trim state spending to accommodate major income tax cuts Gov. Sam Brownback signed into law last year. Attorney General Derek Schmidt said he would appeal the ruling to the Kansas Supreme Court.

The ruling calls for lawmakers to essentially start their education finance conversations all over, using the 2008 session as a starting point.

That’s when lawmakers, prompted by a 2006 Kansas Supreme Court ruling, approved a law requiring the state to provide $4,492 in per-pupil base state aid.

The state’s per-pupil aid peaked at $4,400 in 2009 and has fallen. It fell to $3,780 in 2012. Last year, lawmakers approved an increase to $3,838.

“The right teacher can change a child’s life forever.  And, look, I know this from personal experience.  When I was in fifth grade, I had a teacher named Mabel Hefty.  That was her name, and she was a great teacher.  She was full of curiosity and she was full of enthusiasm.  And most importantly, she went that extra mile.  Fifth grade can be a tough time for a kid.  And I was different and had a funny name, and I had just come back from living a few years overseas with my mom and wasn’t sure how I’d fit in.  And she noticed that, Ms. Hefty.  And she took me under her wing, and she made me feel like I had something to say and that I had some talent.  And she wasn’t too obvious about it, but she made sure that during this transition year, I was able to steady myself and start focusing on my work.  I still remember her — all these years later.  She’s passed away now, but I still remember her. I’m only standing here as President because I had a bunch of great teachers like Ms. Hefty. Teachers matter.  A good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by more than a quarter million dollars.  A great teacher can change the trajectory of a child’s life.  They can offer an escape from poverty to a child who dreams beyond his or her circumstances.  Sometimes a teacher can fill in where the parent isn’t always there.  So they’re on the front lines of our country’s future.” -President Barack Obama Register to vote | Volunteer | Contribute
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“The right teacher can change a child’s life forever.  And, look, I know this from personal experience.  When I was in fifth grade, I had a teacher named Mabel Hefty.  That was her name, and she was a great teacher.  She was full of curiosity and she was full of enthusiasm.  And most importantly, she went that extra mile.  Fifth grade can be a tough time for a kid.  And I was different and had a funny name, and I had just come back from living a few years overseas with my mom and wasn’t sure how I’d fit in.  And she noticed that, Ms. Hefty.  And she took me under her wing, and she made me feel like I had something to say and that I had some talent.  And she wasn’t too obvious about it, but she made sure that during this transition year, I was able to steady myself and start focusing on my work.  I still remember her — all these years later.  She’s passed away now, but I still remember her.

I’m only standing here as President because I had a bunch of great teachers like Ms. Hefty. Teachers matter.  A good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by more than a quarter million dollars.  A great teacher can change the trajectory of a child’s life.  They can offer an escape from poverty to a child who dreams beyond his or her circumstances.  Sometimes a teacher can fill in where the parent isn’t always there.  So they’re on the front lines of our country’s future.”

-President Barack Obama

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