HUMBOLDT — USD 258 Superintendent B.K. Criss is relieved with the way state aid to education shook out over the weekend. It could have worse — much worse.
“I can’t put any numbers on it, but we came out much better than it appeared we would last week,” said Criss, when the district faced losses of more than $500,000. As is, the district may break even.
Criss spent several days in Topeka last week lobbying legislators.
The Legislature made available $126.2 million for local option budget and capital outlay funds. The bulk of those funds are to come from the state’s general fund, and about $12 million from cuts to current education programs and services.
That satisfies a Supreme Court ruling that said state aid for LOB and capital outlay funds was not being distributed fairly, and that poorer districts were suffering.
The bill also increased base state aid per pupil by $14.
At the insistence of the Senate, legislators agreed to strike down teacher tenure as a concession to pass a school finance bill.
All indications are Gov. Sam Brownback will sign the bill into law.
Even with new money, Criss figures his district’s LOB finances at best will be a wash between this year and next, when the new funding takes effect.
The reason is a little complicated.
LOBs are a combination of local and state funds to help supplement a district’s general fund. The state uses a formula to dictate how much it will match locally raised funds. Humboldt can expect to receive a 50-50 match from the state.
The state uses an artificial per-pupil base aid of $4,433 to figure funding. That will go to $4,490 the next two years. This artificial cap is what experts say schools should be receiving from the state. In reality, schools are receiving $3,838 per student. The higher cap allows more funds to be raised by local taxpayers.
Because of the recession, the state decreased its commitment to fully fund its portion of the LOB from 100 percent to 78 percent. Sunday’s legislation restores that funding to 100 percent.
Meanwhile, the $14 increase in the base will result in a base state aid per pupil of $3,852 for general funding purposes.
A disadvantage for Humboldt is that students enrolled in its virtual graduation program have been eliminated from the LOB formula. Humboldt’s virtual ed program has about 150 students, 112 of them adults. Typically, these are alternative students seeking a high school diploma.
Criss said he thinks that lost funding will be made up by the increased LOB funding.
Humboldt’s LOB this year was figured at 27 percent of its general fund, and could have been as much as 30 percent without an election — or 31 percent with voter approval. Under the new finance bill, districts may increase LOBs to as much as 33 percent of general funds, but a mail ballot referendum is required for increases to 31, 32 or 33 percent.
Criss said he had no intention of asking for more LOB authority.
As for its capital outlay fund, it can expect to receive an additional $39,000.
Over the past several years the state removed all matching support for capital outlay funds, which may be used to maintain and build structures and purchase equipment
What it boils down to is with increased LOB funding state money is replacing locally generated tax revenue. In most cases the result is local property tax relief. In Humboldt’s case that will be modest because of the reduced funding to its virtual ed program.
A 20-mill statewide levy generates about $3 billion the state spends on public education. Beyond that local tax levies are restricted to LOB, capital outlay and bonded indebtedness, the scope of which are decided by local boards of education.
As for removing tenure for Kansas teachers, Criss said he did not view it as significant.
“I am sure our best teachers, who are confident in what they do, do not have a huge concern on this issue. Their work speaks for itself. No board of education, superintendent or building administrator is going to dismiss a good teacher,” Criss said.
Breaking even a relief for USD 258
