Rep. John Rubin, a Shawnee Republican, told the Associated Press he plans to abstain from voting during the special session called by Gov. Sam Brownback to deal with school funding.
Legislators earlier this year responded to a court order to equalize state aid with redistribution of aid already allocated. The judges said that was unacceptable, and that public schools would be shuttered at midnight June 30 if legislators didn’t fund schools in a more equal manner.
Rubin’s response: The state already spends too much money on K-12 education. That has been the party line among ultraconservatives who from all indications are intent on dismantling public schools in favor of a system more to their liking, i.e. private institutions.
Like Rubin, our Sen. Caryn Tyson claims state aid for schools has increased. Not true, unless the proverbial smoke and mirrors approach is permitted to prevail. When the block grant funding method of 2015 replaced the 1992 formula, revenue designated for retirement, special education and property tax relief was inserted with other school funds to make it appear more money was made available to traditional classrooms.
Those who maintain that ruse are either willing to lie or just aren’t keen enough to separate fact from fiction.
One solution making the rounds is the suggestion — again — to curb or eliminate tax exemptions enjoyed by more than 330,000 small businesses and farmers.
Rep. Kent Thompson, R-LaHarpe, voted against such a measure earlier this spring but has since said he might reconsider.
In her most recent newsletter, Tyson continued to maintain, “… funding for K-12 has not been cut since I took office.” If there is truth in that comment, then Tyson needs to answer why schools have laid off teachers, cut programs and supplies and in some cases reduced or compressed days in session to make budgetary ends meet.
RUBIN, Thompson and Tyson will be in Topeka next week to consider what can be done to deal with the Supreme Court’s order to massage budgets of poorer districts.
If they’re good to their word, Rubin will sit and pout; Thompson will look twice at efforts to increase funding, and Tyson will cry foul.
In calling the special session, Brownback said he was agreeable to a proposal taking from wealthier districts to help poorer ones, which would increase property taxes in counties such as Johnson.
Johnson County has a large delegation of legislators, several of whom already had pounced on the proposal in predictable fashion.
Meanwhile, many legislators have said they want the special session to be brief and not drag out as occurred last year.
Good for them, as long as they solve the funding problem in an equitable manner, and not approve another back-handed slap on propriety.
