At the request of Kansas legislators, two studies were commissioned to determine the cost of a “suitable” education for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. GOV. SAM Brownback has urged legislators to rise up against the judicial branch of government. “It is the Legislature who has the power of the purse and they must decide how to solve this issue,” he said. Editor’s note: This editorial was written Tuesday afternoon. This morning’s New York Times ran the op-ed piece published below.
The first study was performed in 2001, the second in 2006.
Both said adequate funding is about $4,500 per student. Today’s funding is $3,838 per student, about $650 million shy of the mark in annual spending.
In 2005, school districts filed suit against the Legislature in Montoy v. Kansas. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled the Legislature was amiss, upon which lawmakers agreed to increase funding by 20 percent over three years.
When the recession hit in 2009, legislators backed down from their pledge, and have never looked back. Even when the economy rebounded, legislators did not direct surplus funds to schools. Rather, they cut $511 million per year from state schools and passed an income tax cut worth $2.5 billion through 2018.
As could be expected, school districts brought suit again in 2010 in Gannon v. Kansas.
Today, legislators of a conservative bent take exception to the state’s high court as having the authority to determine what is a suitable education for students.
When the Kansas Legislature resumes next week, these lawmakers will say they have since become experts on education and know what is best for Kansas schools, no matter the outcome of the court’s decision, which is due any day now.
The justices will have made their determination on what is “suitable” by the findings of the two studies, as requested by legislators of the time.
They would be the first to admit they are not experts on school finance, and rely on the expertise of those who are.
Part of being a good leader is deferring to the expertise of others.
Pitting one branch of government against the other is not good governance, nor does it solve the problem of creating and maintaining the schools our children deserve.
Today’s jobs demand a good education. If Kansas is to compete, we must keep in the game.
— Susan Lynn
The education of Kansas students is at a crossroads
