The Kansas Legislature passed a bipartisan budget for K-12 public education that includes increased special education funding.
Senate Bill 387 passed the House 115-2 and the Senate 35-2 on Friday. Lawmakers saved the school budget for a veto after failing to find a compromise until the final night of the regular session.
The budget would increase special education by $75 million, totaling $303 million in new funding for schools, said Rep. Christy Williams, R-Augusta, chairman of the K-12 Budget Committee. Chairman) said.
“Know that the only school district that could see a reduction is if there is a significant drop in enrollment,” said Sen. Molly Baumgardner (R-Lewisburg). Ta.
Rep. Valdenia Wynn, D-Kansas City, said the bill gained support after removing the “poison pill.” A controversial provision in an earlier version of the bill would change her SPED formula to reclassify local taxpayer revenue as part of the state's funding obligation.
Williams said it “doesn't seem right” that the state can't count locally raised money, “but it's part of the compromise process.”
This budget still includes a policy element that requires local option budget funds intended for special education to actually be spent on special education. Williams said schools already do that, but the law will now require related transfers. He said the policy change would increase transparency.
“There are forced transfers, but they don't count as state aid,” Deputy Education Commissioner Frank Harwood told the Kansas State Board of Education earlier this month. “This is important because counting it as state aid would reduce the state's special education mandate without spending any more money.”
Williams acknowledged that while the state constitutionally funds education, including special education, its budget does not meet the legal requirement to cover 92% of excess funding.
more:The special education task force finally meets. Could Kansas schools get more funding?
The $75 million school budget for SPED leaves it up to the State Board of Education to decide how to spend it.
Harwood said the Kansas Department of Education's position is that “it is not the responsibility of the State Board of Education to develop a funding mechanism.”
“We've been saying for years that you guys stay in your lane and we stay in our lane, but that's not our lane,” said state board members. Jim Porter (R-Fredonia) spoke about the board deciding how to allocate SPED funds. . “If I actually had to do that, I would say no.”
Baumgardner said lawmakers plan to put a proviso in the omnibus budget to give state commissions more direction on exactly how the funds should be used.
“The last thing we want to do to serve our children and our teachers is for $75 million to go unspent,” Baumgardner said. “So when we vote on an omnibus bill, there will be a proviso that will clearly spell out how that money will be distributed. I’m not going to let things happen.”
more:More funding isn't the only solution, but it can help improve K-12 schools, Kansas state audit finds
How did Topeka legislators vote?
Here's how Topeka Reps. voted on this bill.
I agree: Republican Sens. Brenda Dietrich, Rick Close, and Kristen O'Shea. Republican Reps. Jesse Beaujon, Ken Corbett and Kyle McNaughton; Democratic Reps. John Alcala, Kirk Haskins, Vic Miller, Tobias Schlingensiepen, and Virgil Weigel.
no: none.
Jason Arratid is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached via email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.
