State Sen. Jeff King told Allen County education officials Monday he supports the governor’s intent to rework the state’s education finance formula but insisted an equalization mechanism must be maintained.
Gov. Sam Brownback is working on a plan to reform public school funding by setting a new baseline for state aid, implementing a block grant system available to districts and putting more responsibility on local tax payers. Monday in Iola, King said he hasn’t seen the governor’s plan nor does he know the details in it, but, for a number of reasons, he does think now is the time to reform the way Kansas pays for K-12 education.
The state’s requirement to redraw legislative district lines coupled with polarizing Kansas population trends makes now the time, the Independence Republican said.
After the new legislative lines are drawn, King said Allen County’s House district will lose a seat and its senate district could lose one of its legislators as well. That reality combined with an ever-increasing push by elected officials from Johnson, Douglas and other wealthy Kansas counties to put more of the funding obligation on local property owners means trouble for small school districts like the ones in Allen County.
“This is A-number 1 on Johnson County’s wish list of things to do in state policy is to redraw the school finance formula,” King told about 35 school teachers and administrators Monday afternoon at Iola High School. “Do we want to do it when our representation is the strongest, or do we want to do it when it’s the weakest? This year is when it’s going to be the strongest.
“We have momentum from the governor’s office to do this. We need to do it in a way that ensures we’re not pushing the burden onto local property tax payers,” he added.
At an Oct. 12 public forum in Topeka, Brownback’s policy director Landon Fulmer said the governor’s plan could modify the statewide 20-mill local property tax collected for schools and allow the state to claim 10 to 15 mills to be placed in a state account and be distributed to equalize property poor school districts. It would also remove the existing cap on local option property taxes.
The amount of state aid dollars a school district receives for each student it educates would increase but the graduated levels for certain students — poor, minority, single parent — would be eliminated. USD 257 Superintendent of School Brian Pekarek said any move toward eliminating the weighted funding formula is “dangerous” for USD 257.
Pekarek said if the per-student funding amount went from its current $3,780 to $5,000, but weighting for certain socioeconomic factors was eliminated, USD 257 would see a $560,000 drop in state aid — somewhat of a red herring for Brownback.
“What I worry about is that the governor might say ‘I raised base state aid,’ but the public won’t know that the weightings aren’t there,” he said. “It takes more money to educate at-risk students than other students.”
Again, King emphasized his dedication to finding a resolution that suited southeast Kansas.
“Equalization is the most important thing,” he said.
The governor could also ax state assistance for school construction. The plan, also addressed by King at Monday evening’s USD 257 Board of Education meeting, might allow counties to place local option sales tax proposals on ballots. Pekarek said such a move puts any new school construction in Iola out of reach — the state currently provides a 44 percent match.
King predicted state matches for construction will dry up.
“Every year (the Legislature) talk(s) about taking away the state contribution bonded interest … it’s a more serious conversation now,” he said. “There is a real possibility that the match from the state may be cut.
“I’m not saying it will be eliminated; nothing may happen. But if I were in your shoes, I would plan for the worst.”
Not bearing all bad news, King told the board, which has seen its operating budget cut by 11 percent since 2008, another round of education budget reductions shouldn’t be expected, at least not this year.
“Revenues are going up a little. Still a long ways to go but there’s no reason to cut education funding next year.”
State senator talks education finance in Iola Monday
