Issue Position: Education
Issue Position
Education funding makes up 65% of the Kansas Budget, 52% going to K-12 and the other 13% for higher education. The rest of the budget is divided among social services, the justice system, commerce and all other agencies.
Education is the biggest budget item with total expenditures exceeding $5 billion. The Kansas Department of Education reports that 2012 per-pupil funding averages $12,000. That includes all sources of education funding, state, federal and local. With the bulk of our tax dollars going to education we should be asking, "How are Kansas students doing? The good news is, Kansas ranks near the top when compared with other states in the U.S. Here's the bad news, Massachusetts ranks first in education but only 47% of their students are performing at their grade level. That means that better than half of the students are not performing at grade level. In Kansas only 37% of our students are performing at grade level. These are averages. Some Kansas schools are doing a stellar job and, sadly, some are not. Increases in education funding haven't had a measurable effect on education achievements and outcomes. Education in the U.S. used to be the best in the world but we're not even in the top ten now. We should take a close look at those Kansas schools that have defied the averages, schools where students consistently perform at or above grade levels, and learn from them.
Recently several schools joined in another lawsuit against the state seeking to get more education money. This is the second time schools have sued the state for more funds. Where do you suppose they get the money to pay lawyers to sue the state? Are these law suits privately funded or are schools using your tax dollars to pay lawyers to sue the state? What educators and legislators need to do is come together and focus on ways to improve education and outcomes and we need to find better ways to utilize the education resources that are currently available.
I support full funding for special education. As a former special education teacher, I have seen, first hand, where changes need to be made and I will work to bring those improvements to every child in Kansas.
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