Saturday, January 14, 2017

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 10th in the nation in achievement but 41st 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.

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