Gov. Sam Brownback (R)
Date of Speech: Jan. 15
Gov. Brownback used his speech to state lawmakers to call for full-day kindergarten at every public school in the Sunflower State.
Currently, the state funds half-day kindergarten, and districts kick in local funds to support full-day kindergarten if they want to offer it. The governor has supported a proposal that would increase state funding levels by annual increments of $16 million over five years so that the state could gradually assume the full-day kindergarten costs.
The governor also singled out the state’s Supreme Court justices, who were expected to rule soon on a lawsuit seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in additional state school funding and were seated in the audience.
“Let us resolve that our schools remain open and are not closed by the courts or anyone else,” Gov. Brownback said.
