The Kansas Senate education committee released a draft proposal last week to raise state aid for K-12 education by $415 million over the next three years, an increase of nearly 18 percent over current spending.
The state budget currently allots $2.4 billion dollars for K-12 education, but a Jan. 3 decision by the Kansas Supreme Court requires the legislature to restructure the school aid system by April 12. (“Kansas Court Orders School Finance Fix,” Jan. 12, 2005.)
Under the committee plan, K-12 aid would rise by $125 million the first year, $146 million the second, and $142 million in the third year. All school districts would receive new funds, but most of it would be targeted to students at risk of academic failure, or those in bilingual and special education.
Tax revenue produced by predicted growth in the economy and an $80 million withdrawal from the state’s general fund would be used to finance the proposal in the first year, the committee says.
