Kansas schools facing the possibility of more cuts.

As the legislative session gets underway there are many issues that are at the forefront, but one issue that affects all agencies is the lack of revenue.  The past several years many agencies have seen cuts other than education.  These cuts have affected many lives and it is time for our Kansas Government to undo the damage they have caused with their tax policies. 

Kansas ranks 10^th in the nation in achievement but 41^st in the nation in teacher salaries.  All nine states ahead of Kansas in achievement spend more money on education. 

School superintendents learned earlier this week that education might receive more cuts by the end of this school year between 2%-4%.  The dollar amount for USD 239 would be between $78,000-$156,000.  At this point in the school year we do not have this amount in our general operating budget; however, we do have this amount in our contingency reserves.  It is for times like this that we have a contingency reserve; however, if the state’s budget does not get fixed soon we will not have any more reserves in our contingency budget to draw from.

I mentioned in an earlier article about the new vision the Kansas State Board of Education has for our schools.  It is a great vision; however, with the vision does come added expenses for the district.

 

 • More programs to close the achievement gap.

 • More guidance and career counselors to support individual learning plans based on             career interest.

• Expanded career and technical programs to allow more students to successfully                  complete post secondary education.

 • More support for the social and emotional needs of students.

It is time to say no more to the failed tax policy of the current Kansas Administration.  Our kids deserve better and they deserve to have a promising future.

January is School Board Appreciation Month

Ordinary citizens doing extraordinary work: that’s how to describe our local board of education! These seven individuals are our friends and neighbors who are creating a future for every child in our community. They spend countless hours preparing to make decisions, participating in meetings and attending school activities and events. They advocate on the local, state and national levels for our children. They are held accountable for the decisions they make, and do all of this as volunteers.

Our local board of education is responsible for setting a vision for our local education program, and partners with staff and other members of the community to provide the facilities and infrastructure to achieve that vision. They research, study and then discuss issues so that they can make informed decisions on countless complex challenges.

Too often we forget about the personal sacrifices school board members make. The job of a school board member is tough, the hours long and the thanks few and far between. The month of January marks the annual observance of School Board Recognition Month and gives us the chance to say thank you!

This is a time to shine a light on how local boards prepare today’s students for success. In January, join with others throughout our district and state to salute the men and women who provide leadership for our public schools.

We applaud them for their dedication to leading our schools so that today’s students can become tomorrow’s leaders. The men and women serving North Ottawa County and their years of service are:

David Pounds--12 years                     Justin Abell—2 years

Angie Ruble—7 years                        Brigitte Nelson—2 years

Dr. Bruce Labes—6 years                  Sandra Tibetts—2 years

Kendall Kirk—2 months