Kansas educators apparently see problems with a new school funding plan being considered by legislators, and a significant one is what they see as not enough new dollars.
A special state House of Representatives committee opened hearings Thursday on a bill which would create a new per-student formula for distributing aid to the state’s 286 school districts.
Republican legislators scrapped a per-student formula in 2015 in favor of what was seen as more stable “block grants” for districts. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the law violates the state constitution and gave lawmakers until June 30 to enact a new funding mechanism.
Several school superintendents have said the new formula would be flawed in how it distributes money for various programs. Educators also question whether its $75 million increase in annual aid would be enough.