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What the House Education Spending Bill Would Do for Schools, in One Chart

House lawmakers have advanced an annual funding bill for education that would provide billions of dollars in funding increases for students in poverty, special education, and other programs in K-12 public schools.

The House appropriations committee voted to favorably report the fiscal 2022 bill for the U.S. Department of Education to the full chamber on Thursday after a lengthy debate. The legislation would represent a huge increase in annual federal spending on schools, on top of three COVID-19 relief packages since early 2020 that have provided tens of billions of dollars for K-12.

However, the bill’s funding proposals face a long road ahead and significant opposition from Republicans.

The appropriations bill provides $65.6 billion for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts Sept. 30, for K-12 education, an increase of $25 billion. The bill more than doubles the size of the Title I program for disadvantaged students, taking it from $16.5 billion to $36 billion. And it would provide funding increases for educator development, English-language learners, the Education Department’s office for civil rights, and many other programs.

Go here to learn more about the bill . The House committee voted 33-25 to favorably report the bill.

In remarks introducing the bill to the committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the chairwoman of the House appropriations committee, said the bill would “strengthen federal support for high-poverty schools” and in general would provide critical support to communities grappling with the pandemic.

“We are cultivating a nation that supports working families and nurtures children” through the bill, DeLauro said.

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the top Republican on the House subcommittee for education spending, said he supported higher spending on special education and thanked DeLauro for working with him. But he said that “such unprecedented levels of spending” as well as new taxes proposed by the Biden administration would hurt the economy, and that the bill would not make it past GOP opposition to the president’s desk.

The legislation also includes money for “community project funding.” This would support a host of pet projects in lawmakers’ districts ; legislators make specific requests for these projects outside regular annual funding for federal programs. Democrats announced that they would begin funding these “earmarks” again for fiscal 2022. They had been barred from federal appropriations bills since 2011.

Not all education programs are getting more money under the bill.

The legislation would cut funding for the Charter Schools Program, which aims to support the expansion of successful charter schools, from $440 million to $400 million. Antipathy to the program has grown on Capitol Hill among Democrats in recent years, although the charter program still draws on bipartisan support. Critics have said the the program has done a poor job handling oversight of how the funds are used, but supporters say it helps expand educational opportunities, particularly for students of color.

That’s not the only change affecting charter schools in the legislation. The bill would prohibit federal money “from being awarded to charter schools run by for-profit entities.” Charter schools run by such organizations have created significant controversy in the education community. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has expressed his opposition to such arrangements.

The $65.6 billion for K-12 education matches the Biden administration’s budget proposal. However, the bill does not include the administration’s proposal to create new “equity grants” that the president says would push states to create more equitable school funding systems. Instead, the bill incorporates nearly all the money from that proposal from Biden into the existing Title I formula.

Elsewhere, a committee report on the bill urges the Education Department to create an updated list of where school desegregation orders are in effect. The department’s public data about these orders has provoked questions . It also wants the department to keep track of districts’ compliance with those orders.

The report also directs the department to provide “technical assistance” to school districts interested in using federal money for transportation services in support of voluntary school integration programs.

The Senate still has to work on its own appropriations proposals before the House and Senate agree on a final 2022 spending deal.

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Gov. Kelly signs bill to fully fund K-12 education for sixth year, increases special education funding

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Governor Laura Kelly signed a bill to fully fund K-12 education for the sixth consecutive year and increase special education funding.

Governor Kelly signed House Substitute for Senate Bill 387 on Wednesday, May 15. The bill builds on the Governor’s commitment to fully fund public schools and provide resources needed to ensure Kansas students are prepared for lifelong learning.

“Kansas’ public schools and students are foundational to ensuring our state has a bright future,” Governor Kelly said. “I am proud to fully fund our public schools for the sixth consecutive year. By collaborating in a bipartisan manner, we’re equipping all of our students and educators with the resources they need to succeed in the classroom.”

According to the Office of the Kansas Governor officials, critically, House Substitute for Senate Bill 387 provides $75.5 million in additional funding for special education state aid. This includes $65.5 million in new State General Fund support, $2.5 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, and $7.5 million appropriated in 2023 for the upcoming school year. With this increased funding, districts will be better positioned to recruit and retain special education staff and ensure adequate services are provided to students with Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs). This funding represents the first year of a phased-in approach to fully funding special education in accordance with state’s statutory obligation.

“Fully funding special education benefits each and every student and shows that Kansas supports and values our educators,” Governor Kelly said. “I appreciate the Legislature’s willingness to collaborate in a bipartisan manner to secure this increased funding. This is only the first step, as we must continue increasing special education funding in future years to meet the state’s obligation.”

Office of the Kansas Governor officials said in addition to fully funding K-12 education, House Substitute for Senate Bill 387 also:

Expands Access to Child Care : The bill provides $5 million for the creation of a public-private partnership that supports child care providers in rural and frontier communities in northwest Kansas. This partnership with the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and Patterson Family Foundation will create a new endowment that will award operational grants to child care providers and combat the growth of child care deserts.
Invests in Early Childhood Education and Literacy : The bill includes $23.7 million from the Children’s Initiatives Fund for the Early Childhood Block Grant, which provides funding to programs supporting the healthy development of Kansas children. The bill also continues to fund the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program, which gifts books to children from birth to five years old.
Supports the Teacher Workforce : The bill includes $1.3 million for a mentorship program for early-career educators and $1.8 million to support teacher professional development.
Continues Commitment to School Safety : The bill includes $5 million in grants for schools to make physical improvements, purchase equipment, and hire school resource officers to improve the safety and security of schools.

Kansas State Senator Molly Baumgardner , District 37, said they focused on increasing school funding to address the needs of Kansas students.

“It was an honor to chair the House and Senate School Funding Conference Committee,” said Baumgardner. “We focused on crafting increased school funding that better addresses the needs of our Kansas students and our dedicated teachers and staff members. Our commitment to distributing increased special education funding in a more equitable way to Kansas school districts was accomplished by collaborating directly with the Department of Education leadership team. This is an important change for children that receive these special services.”

Kansas Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes , District 21, said investing in public education is the best investment.

“Investing in public education is the best investment we can make for our economy, our state, and the future for Kansas kids,” said Sykes. “This budget ensures every student has the resources they need to be successful by fully funding Kansas’ K-12 public schools for the sixth year in a row. This is the right thing to do for Kansas students, teachers, and communities.”

Kansas House Assistant Minority Leader Valdenia Winn , District 34 said they are pleased that the Legislature agreed to fully fund public education and increase funding for special education.

“I am pleased that the Kansas Legislature agreed to continue to constitutionally fund public education, provide more than $75 million of new money for special education, and to insure accountability for targeted funds,” said Winn. “I look forward in the future to developing more policies that support increased student achievement.”

Additionally, officials with the Office of the Kansas Governor said Governor Kelly line-item vetoed a provision that would have altered the School Safety and Security Grant Program into a no-bid contract for one company to provide services to schools.

Governor Kelly’s full message to the Legislature and more information about her line-item veto can be found HERE .

“A strong education is key to building our future Kansas workforce. The K-12 Education Budget bill that was signed into law today, adds over $300 million in new funding, including over $75 million in new special education funding,” said House Speaker Dan Hawkins. “It also ensures that all special education dollars are used toward educating sped students. The work done to bring this bill to fruition truly highlights the legislature’s continued commitment to fully funding Kansas schools, an integral part of our Kansas communities.”

“Legislative Republicans have once again fully and constitutionally funded K-12 education in Kansas, while adding historic investment into our special education classrooms,” said House Majority Leader Chris Croft. “Additionally, we found ways to uplift at-risk students, explore new possibilities for funding formulas, and enhance safety of students when they’re at school.”

“I am pleased that the Governor is signing the legislature’s K-12 budget. Once again, the House and Senate have come together to fully fund education in our state, ensuring that every student has the resources they need to succeed,” said House Speaker Pro Tempore Blake Carpenter. “This budget also includes full funding for special education, demonstrating our commitment to supporting all students and addressing their unique needs.”

“Meeting our Constitutional obligation plus an additional $75 million for special education shows the Legislature’s commitment to supporting our students, teachers, and schools,” said House K-12 Education Budget Chair Kristey Williams. “With almost $5 billion of State dollars allocated every year, we are also dedicated to ensuring there’s more accountability and transparency as we work toward improved student achievement. Our goal is to graduate students who are career and college ready — which requires a continued focus on outcomes.”

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Kansas governor signs school funding bill with $75 million boost for special education

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Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation to continue fully funding K-12 public schools and close the gap on special education needs. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation that allocates $6.6 billion to K-12 public schools, including $75 million in new money for special education, but vetoed language designed to funnel safety grant cash to a specific software company .

The Democratic governor and Republican legislators separately claimed credit for continuing to fully fund schools, as required by the state’s constitution and mandated by the Kansas Supreme Court. House Bill 387 passed the House 115-2 and the Senate 35-2 on April 26, shortly before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

The legislation includes $4.9 billion in state spending for the public school system.

“Once again, the House and Senate have come together to fully fund education in our state, ensuring that every student has the resources they need to succeed,” said Rep. Blake Carpenter, R-Derby. “This budget also includes full funding for special education, demonstrating our commitment to supporting all students and addressing their unique needs.”

Kelly’s message to lawmakers in signing the bill referenced the state’s historical failures to provide adequate and equitable resources to public schools.

In 2018, when Kelly was still a state senator, the Legislature adopted a five-year plan to fully fund schools by the 2022-23 school year. As governor, she worked with lawmakers in 2019 to correct a math problem and add an ongoing inflation adjustment to win approval from the Kansas Supreme Court. The court retained oversight of the case to ensure the Legislature didn’t pull the rug out from under schools as it had repeatedly in the past, then let go of the case earlier this year.

“When I became governor, my first order of business was to end the cycle of school finance litigation caused by years of underfunding,” Kelly said in her written communication to the Legislature. “Reckless leadership and mismanagement of the state’s finances made it impossible for the state to adequately fund our schools. Since then, we’ve seen how investment in our education system pays significant dividends for our entire state. Students now have more opportunities than ever to explore their educational and professional interests. Our commitment to fully funding public education better supports teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators.”

Lawmakers agreed to address a longstanding shortfall in special education funding by adding $75 million to the budget. But they stopped short of meeting recommendations from a special task force , which said lawmakers should add $82.7 million annually for four years in order to comply with a law requiring the state cover 92% of extra costs for serving students in special education.

“This funding will provide critical support to districts that have been shouldering the burden of the state’s decade-long failure to meet its statutory obligation and ultimately its promise to the next generation of Kansans,” Kelly said.

At one point this year, the Legislature considered rewriting state law to permanently underfund special education .

Kelly said the new money would allow districts to “properly invest in special education educators” rather than redirect funding that otherwise would be used on teacher salaries and other instruction programs.

“While this funding is a critical first step, it is just a first step,” Kelly said. “We must continue to increase special education funding in future years.”

Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Louisburg Republican who chairs the Senate Education Committee, said lawmakers this year focused on crafting a bill that better addresses the needs of students, teachers and staff members.

“Our commitment to distributing increased special education funding in a more equitable way to Kansas school districts was accomplished by collaborating directly with the Department of Education leadership team,” Baumgardner said. “This is an important change for children that receive these special services.”

The governor vetoed language that would have required schools to use the $5 million available through the School Safety and Security Grant program on firearm detection software made by ZeroEyes. The company hired lobbyists in multiple states to try to corner the market on security contracts by inserting restrictions in legislation to undermine the ability of rival venders to bid.

Kelly said the restrictions amounted to a no-bid contract and would restrict schools from using the money on other types of safety needs. She has the authority to use a line-item veto on the policy because it was embedded in a budget bill.

Schools should be able to invest in other school safety efforts, Kelly said, such as updating communications systems, hiring more security staff, investing in physical infrastructure and buying automated external defibrillators .

“We must continue to work together to ensure our students have a safe, conducive environment for their learning,” Kelly said. “To do that, we should not hamstring districts by limiting this funding opportunity to services provided by one company.”

Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican who chairs the House K-12 Education Budget Committee, welcomed a ZeroEyes sales pitch in her committee and helped shepherd the earmark into law.

She didn’t mention the governor’s line-item veto in a written statement responding to the signing of the bill.

“Meeting our constitutional obligation plus an additional $75 million for special education shows the Legislature’s commitment to supporting our students, teachers and schools,” Williams said. “With almost $5 billion of state dollars allocated every year, we are also dedicated to ensuring there’s more accountability and transparency as we work toward improved student achievement. Our goal is to graduate students who are career and college ready — which requires a continued focus on outcomes.”

The post Kansas governor signs school funding bill with $75 million boost for special education appeared first on Kansas Reflector .

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In Depth. Independent. In Kansas City.

How Kansas lawmakers want to change K-12 education in 2023

K-12 education funding

Kansas’ school funding system has been shaped by decades of court battles. Several months ago, the state’s associations of superintendents and school boards told The Beacon they were largely happy with how funding is currently distributed.

Some legislation filed this year would change how it works, while other bills would preserve current features of the system.

One proposal, Senate Bill 122 , is sponsored by the Senate Committee on Education. It would remove an expiration date for a piece of the funding formula that sends extra dollars to districts that have a high percentage of at-risk students.

The bill’s page on the legislature’s website says lobbyist Sean Miller requested that the bill be introduced on behalf of Kansas City, Kansas, and Wichita public schools. The weighting for schools with a high density of at-risk students is set to expire in mid-2024.

Miller also requested the similar House Bill 2223 on behalf of the group Schools for Fair Funding. It’s sponsored by the House Committee on Education.

House Bill 2040 , sponsored by the Committee on Education and requested by Rep. Adam Thomas, an Olathe Republican, would allow schools to use their current enrollment to calculate funding. As they do currently, schools would also have the option of using either of the two preceding years.

A fiscal note for the proposal estimates that with the policy in place for fiscal year 2023, an additional 3,427 students in 104 school districts would be counted for an additional $17,487,981 in funding.

Requested for introduction by Rep. Kristey Williams of Augusta, the majority caucus chair, House Bill 2060 would create a task force on funding for special education.

Gov. Laura Kelly recently introduced a plan to raise special education funding in Kansas to mandated levels.

Supporting families outside of public schools

As in Missouri , there’s a push in Kansas to make it easier for students to leave their traditional local public school district.

Kansas recently made it possible for students to transfer to public school districts where they aren’t residents, prompting some concerns about overcrowding and unpredictable enrollment .

This year, the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget, at the request of Thomas, is sponsoring House Bill 2048 . The proposal would make donations to a private school scholarship program eligible for a 100% tax credit, rather than the 70% credit that exists today. It would also make more families eligible, including some with higher incomes.

The proposal received a hearing Jan. 25. Blue Valley Schools submitted written testimony against it, saying, in part that “private schools receiving public dollars, even by a decrease in state revenue, must be held to the same standards, requirements, and governance as that required of public schools.”

A group of four Republican senators is sponsoring Senate Bill 128 , which would grant a refundable tax credit to families that don’t send their children to public school. The amount of the credit would be the same as the “BASE aid” (Base Aid for Student Excellence) that the state allocates to each public school student.

The Committee on Assessment and Taxation scheduled a hearing for the bill for 9:30 a.m. Feb. 9.

House Bill 2218 also would direct BASE aid dollars to families that don’t send their children to public schools. But instead of functioning through a tax credit, students would have an “education savings account” with funds that can be used for tuition and other expenses.

The proposal is sponsored by the Committee on K-12 Education budget and received a hearing Feb. 6.

House Bill 2030 would ensure that students who don’t attend public schools don’t miss out on extracurricular activities. The Committee on K-12 Education budget sponsored the bill and held a hearing for it Jan. 24.

It would allow nonpublic school students to participate in any public school activities regulated by the statewide high school activities association. Meanwhile, private school students who attend public school part time would still be eligible to participate in their private school’s activities.

Back-to-school tax holiday

Once again, some Kansas senators are pushing for the state to adopt a back-to-school tax holiday.

Last year , some senators argued a sales tax holiday could help families save money on state taxes while preventing Kansas from losing business to nearby states, like Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, that already have a tax holiday.

Senate Bill 21 , Senate Bill 29 and Senate Bill 55 each propose a window over an early weekend in August during which school-related purchases such as clothing, technology and school supplies would be exempt from state sales tax.

Senate Bill 21 is sponsored by the Committee on Assessment and Taxation and received a hearing Jan. 19. Senate Bill 29 received a hearing from the committee the same day. It’s sponsored by a bipartisan group of five senators.

Senate Bill 55 is also sponsored by the committee. Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes of Johnson County requested that it be introduced.

Parents’ rights

Parental rights in another topic from last year that is making a return.

House Bill 2236 would ensure parents could opt their children out of instruction or activities they think are harmful or against their beliefs. It’s sponsored by the Committee on Education and is up for a hearing at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 8. Thomas asked that it be introduced.

Thomas also requested House Bill 2248 , also sponsored by the education committee. The proposal would ensure parents could have access to their children’s educational and health records and could inspect any educational materials their children are exposed to including curriculum, books, handouts and surveys.

Local school boards

House Bill 2261 would allow school districts to pay school board members. The legislation was requested by Republican Rep. Rebecca Schmoe of Ottawa and is sponsored by the Committee on K-12 Education Budget.

Senate Bill 66 , sponsored by the Committee on Education at the request of Sen. Pat Pettey, a Democrat from Kansas City, would include the state in an interstate agreement to recognize teacher licenses across multiple states.

The purpose of the agreement would be to encourage teachers to stay in the profession even if they move to another state by removing barriers to staying licensed. States would retain some power to set their own requirements, especially when it comes time to renew a license.

Instruction in schools

Senate Bill 116 , sponsored by the Committee on Federal and State Affairs, would allow schools to offer firearm safety training beginning in kindergarten and require the state board of education to establish guidelines.

Curriculum for grades K-8 could be based on the Eddie Eagle GunSafe program offered by the National Rifle Association. Curriculum for grades 6-12 could be based on the Hunter Education in Our Schools course from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

Republican Sen. Chase Blasi of Wichita requested the legislation. A hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Feb. 8.

House Bill 2224 , sponsored by the Committee on Education, would increase the minimum number of school days that each school district would have to provide.

Currently, the minimum is 186 school days for most grades, and 181 for high school seniors. There’s also an option to count hours rather than days.

The legislation would remove the option to count hours. It would require a minimum of 195 school days that are at least eight hours long or 156 school days that are at least 10 hours long.

It was requested by Republican Rep. Bill Rhiley of Wellington.

Miranda Moore contributed to this report.

Maria Benevento

Maria Benevento is the education reporter at The Kansas City Beacon. She is a Report for America corps member. Follow her on Twitter @MariaFBenevento. More by Maria Benevento

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by Maria Benevento, The Beacon February 7, 2023

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October 8, 2021.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a $123.9 billion package to increase broadband infrastructure, develop mental and behavioral health programming and require that all high school students take an ethnic studies course before graduating. The 22 bills included in the package amount to the highest per-pupil funding in state history, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

One pair of bills signed Friday will extend a state program that seeks to provide broadband access to Californians via grants. Parts of California have struggled to attract internet service providers and have lacked the broadband infrastructure to do so, particularly in less populated areas. The pandemic has exacerbated the issue, especially in the first months that students relied on distance learning.

Assembly Bill 14, introduced by Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, and Senate Bill 4, introduced by Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, extend the California Advanced Services Fund program through 2032. They also extend the tax on phone bills that is used to fund the program. The tax amount will remain the same.

Additionally, SB 4 extends the California Advanced Services Fund from 2026 through 2032 and increases its annual funding cap. The fund provides grants for various broadband access projects, which will now include one for broadband access at unserved nonresidential locations, such as fairgrounds, that are used for local and state emergency response.

“This is huge news that will make a significant positive difference in the lives of Californians,” said Gonzalez said in a news release . “Enacting SB 4 and AB 14 means that children will no longer have to do their homework outside of fast-food restaurants.”

The bills on mental and behavioral health will receive about $4.3 billion.

That includes AB 309, introduced by Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, D-Encino, which requests that the California Department of Education consult with the state Department of Health Care Services to develop protocols for schools to use voluntarily in referring students for mental health support.

The package also includes SB 14, authored by Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, which makes an addition to the reasons a student can receive an excused absence in cases of illness. The new option is “for the benefit of the behavioral health of the pupil.” Portantino also introduced SB 224, which requires that mental health instruction be included in existing health education courses at middle and high schools.

One of the most anticipated bills was AB 191, which requires that all public and charter high schools offer one semester course, at minimum, in ethnic studies. The bill will go into effect during the 2025-26 school year. Beginning with the graduating class of 2029-30, high students will be required to complete a one-semester course in ethnic studies to receive their high school diploma.

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Alex Guzman 3 years ago 3 years ago

I am profoundly grateful for AB 191. This will truly be something that I wish was made when I was in high school, but now my little sister will be a part of this new era and hope that she is able to understand everything that has to do with the way society has affected minorities.

Jay 3 years ago 3 years ago

Record per pupil spending and record classroom sizes. The state must cap classroom sizes with a specific number; the method of using classroom averages is being exploited. Large classes reduce student learning, reduce student safety, and reduce protections from Covid in students who cannot be vaccinated.

Stop increasing the spending unless it is guaranteed to reach the classroom student population instead of getting lost in one-time district spending or administrative costs.

Rosauro Barcelona 3 years ago 3 years ago

It is a good news for Californians. I am a special education teacher. I believe that there should be a program like mental health and behavior protocol especially during this pandemic time. Absolutely supporting this program.

Rose Rodriguez 3 years ago 3 years ago

Would like to see better math instruction

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Laura Kelly signs Kansas K-12 budget but vetoes no-bid contract for school security grants

Gov. Laura Kelly on Wednesday signed the Legislature's 2024 bill funding K-12 public schools, including an increase in special education funding.

Kelly said that Senate Bill 387 "represents a continued commitment to our students and our schools. This bill fully funds public education for a sixth consecutive year, providing additional funding for the BASE State Aid in accordance with the Gannon mandate.

"Additionally, this bill provides $75 million in new special education funding, enacting the first year of a phased-in approach for the state to meet its statutory obligation to fully fund special education."

Kelly also touted $5 million for public-private partnerships to support child care providers in rural northwest Kansas, $23.7 million for early childhood education and literacy, $3.1 million for teacher workforce support and $5 million for school safety grants.

Sen. Molly Baumgardner, R-Louisburg, is chair of the Senate Education Committee.

"We focused on crafting increased school funding that better addresses the needs of our Kansas students and our dedicated teachers and staff members," Baumgardner said in a statement via the governor's office. "Our commitment to distributing increased special education funding in a more equitable way to Kansas school districts was accomplished by collaborating directly with the Department of Education leadership team."

Rep. Kristey Williams, R-August, is chair of the House K-12 Education Budget Committee.

"Meeting our Constitutional obligation plus an additional $75 million for special education shows the Legislature's commitment to supporting our students, teachers, and schools," Williams said in a statement via House GOP leadership. "With almost $5 billion of State dollars allocated every year, we are also dedicated to ensuring there's more accountability and transparency as we work toward improved student achievement."

Kelly vetoes proviso creating no-bid contract

When legislators wrote the budget, the included a proviso on using school safety and security grants to buy and install "security cameras that are compatible with the firearm detection software specified in paragraph (3)." The details in that paragraph effectively turned the grant program into a no-bid contract for the only company that met those specifications.

Legislative staff wrote in the bill explainer that the proviso required the grant funds "only be used for a pilot program with ZeroEyes to add software to existing cameras to identify firearms within schools."

The Associated Press reported that ZeroEyes , a firm founded by military veterans after a school shooting in Florida, touted their technology to Kansas lawmakers while also being the only qualified firm to benefit from similar legislation in other states.

In her veto message, Kelly said it turned the grant program "into a no-bid contract by inserting requirements that eliminate nearly all potential competition." She also took issue with restricting schools from using the funds for other school safety efforts, such as hiring more security staff or purchasing communications systems, arguing they should have flexibility to use the money "to address needs that are of utmost priority to student safety."

"We must continue to work together to ensure our students have a safe, conducive environment for their learning," Kelly said. "To do that, we should not hamstring districts by limiting this funding opportunity to services provided by one company."

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd .

Missouri legislature passes expansive K-12 education bill that includes raise for teachers

Fog rises off the Missouri River in front of the Missouri State Capitol building on the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 3, in Jefferson City, Mo.

The Missouri legislature passed a sweeping education bill Thursday, including raising the minimum teacher salary to $40,000, recalculating the state’s school funding formula and significantly expanding the state’s tax credit scholarship program.

The House passed the Senate bill 82-69 — the minimum number of votes needed. Because the House did not make any changes to the Senate bill, the legislation now goes to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk. The bill is the second piece of legislation passed by both the House and Senate this session.

“This is the most substantive investment in public education that this state has ever seen,” Rep. Phil Christofanelli, R-St. Peters, said on the House floor before the vote. "This is going to be a hard vote for some people, but it's also probably going to be the most important vote you ever take.”

Within the roughly 150-page bill is a large expansion to the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Account program. The account allows families to get funding to send their children to the school of their choice, including private schools.

The account is funded by private donors, who then receive tax credits from the state.

Through the bill, the amount of tax credits that would be allocated each year would increase to $75 million. It also widens the program to be accessible across the state, as well as increases the maximum income a family can earn to qualify for the funds.

“We're prioritizing those scholarships for low-income students. And we're removing the geographic restrictions that arbitrarily denied people access to a program that works,” Christofanelli said.

Critics of the program say it takes away dollars from public education and gives them to private schools.

“From my personal standpoint, I really saw this bill as a moving of public money to private institutions,” House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, said.

When the bill was originally introduced in the Senate, it only included the language that expanded the scholarship account program.

Another Republican-supported measure in the bill was the expansion of charter schools to Boone County.

Currently, charter schools are only allowed in St. Louis and Kansas City, though as recent as this session, bills have been introduced to allow them in St. Louis and St. Charles counties.

The four Democratic representatives from the Columbia area spoke against the legislation on the House floor.

“This bill is poison. Our schools are accredited. We don't need this bill,” said Rep. David Tyson Smith, D-Columbia. “We are hanging on by a razor's edge financially already. You bring charter schools into Boone County, which is what this bill specifically does, and it hurts us.”

Smith later admonished Senate Democrats for not killing the bill when it was up for debate in the Senate.

“We're not OK with it. It should have been filibustered. It shouldn't have made it this far, it should have been stopped,” Smith said.

The legislation also contains measures that have more support from both parties. They include recalculating the state’s school funding formula to factor in enrollment as opposed to just attendance.

Another provision raises the minimum salary for teachers. Through the legislation, that wage would increase from $25,000 to $40,000 annually.

“I think the amount of money that's going into public schools is a vast amount of money. I think it's going to help our public schools and our districts,” Rep. Jamie Burger, R-Benton, said.

While Democrats said they are in support of raising the minimum wage for teachers and have filed bills and amendments that do just that, they expressed concern there is no funding mechanism tied to the bill that would guarantee that those raises would happen.

“We say we're taking care of our teachers with an increase in minimum pay. But there is nothing that tethers that to anything else in the bill,” Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Manchester, said.

Quade said after the vote that she still had concerns that the funding isn’t guaranteed.

“We know that our revenue numbers are going to be vastly different as early as next year. And so yeah, when we're looking at those provisions within the bill that we deeply like, there are concerns,” Quade said.

House Floor Leader Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, said he sees the funding associated with this bill as a priority.

“Making sure our kids have what they need to get what they need to go out there and learn and compete with kids from all around the world, that is our No. 1 priority,” Patterson said.

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Kansas governor signs school funding bill with $75 million boost for special education

Gov. Laura Kelly uses line-item veto to eliminate earmark for ZeroEyes firearm detection software

The legislation includes $4.9 billion in state spending for the public school system.

Kelly’s message to lawmakers in signing the bill referenced the state’s historical failures to provide adequate and equitable resources to public schools.

At one point this year, the Legislature considered rewriting state law to permanently underfund special education .

“While this funding is a critical first step, it is just a first step,” Kelly said. “We must continue to increase special education funding in future years.”

Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican who chairs the House K-12 Education Budget Committee, welcomed a ZeroEyes sales pitch in her committee and helped shepherd the earmark into law.

She didn’t mention the governor’s line-item veto in a written statement responding to the signing of the bill.

Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: [email protected] . Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter .

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Kansas Legislature approves K-12 education budget with private school benefits

Public school funding plan includes school board pay, local taxes to raise teacher salaries, private school students in public school sports, by: rachel mipro - april 28, 2023 7:56 pm.

Sen. Molly Baumgardner says private school students should feel included in school district communities. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislature passed a K-12 education package Friday that fully funds public schools but includes expansion of a private school tax credit and allows private school students to participate in public school sports and activities.

Lawmakers abandoned plans to pass a revived voucher program before adjourning.

House lawmakers approved Senate Bill 113 , which provides funding for the next three years, by an 83-37 vote, despite criticism from House Democrats who felt the process hasn’t been transparent — especially with a new provision that allows the state first right of refusal over closed school buildings. The bill passed 23-16 in the Senate after lengthy debate.

Rep. Jarrod Ousley, a Merriam Democrat, c hallenged the conference committee bundle of policies because the provision dealing with closed school buildings wasn’t included in any previous bills, a violation of House rules. Republicans overruled his challenge.

“This is no way to craft policy,” Ousley said. “This is no way to do half of our budget.”

Sen. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, also questioned the need for the building-buying provision. Holland said he didn’t think the state should get into real estate, especially with no publicly available plan for the buildings bought by the state. Holland said he was concerned the goal was to move private education organizations into these buildings, edging out public schools.

“This to me reeks of massive conflicts of interest,” Holland said. “I’m only imagining because it doesn’t tell us what’s going to happen to those properties once the state picks them up.”

Private school benefits

SB113 expands a private school tax credit originally billed as a way to serve low-income Kansas students. The tax credit currently allows organizations and taxpayers to write off 70% of scholarships they provide to private schools, with a maximum allowable credit of $500,000 per year.

The bill would increase student eligibility for the program to 250% of the federal poverty level, raise the tax credit write-off to 75% and also allow unaccredited private schools to be eligible for the program, as long as the school is “working toward accreditation.” The increased tax credit rate of 75% is the highest bracket for charitable donations in the Kansas tax code.

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, said she didn’t support the provision because these private schools wouldn’t have any accountability measures in place, such as reported test scores.

“We won’t expand Medicaid, but we’re going to give these dollars without any accountability,” Sykes said.

Another portion of the bill allows private school and homeschool students to participate in public school activities, such as sports teams and debate programs. The students could join any school district activities overseen by the Kansas State High School Activities Association.

“They are taxpayers,” said Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Louisburg Republican. “They are all a part of our community. And we want to have an opportunity for them to be included.”

Several senators questioned why nonpublic students should be allowed to join these activities, especially since they wouldn’t be held to the same standards for extracurricular eligibility as public school students.

“They don’t have to have the same grade accountability as students who are enrolled. That is very unfair,” said Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park.

Funding measures

The bill provides an inflation adjustment for the base state aid per pupil for each of the next three school years, based on a three-year average of the Midwest consumer price index. For the upcoming fiscal year, the total is $6.3 billion.

SB113 also establishes an 11-member special education funding task force that would study the way public schools use special education funding. And it authorizes school districts to provide a salary to their local board of education members.

The bill doesn’t include new funding for special education needs, which has been a rallying cry for educators.

The Kansas Association of School Boards estimates the state is currently about $160 million short of the special education funding required by state law. The state is supposed to provide 92% of the costs of special education, but the Legislature hasn’t met this requirement since 2011.

In her proposed budget, Gov. Laura Kelly asked for the allocation of $72.4 million for special education every year for the next five years to meet the statutory requirement. SB113 instead increases state funding for special education by about $7.5 million, an inflation adjustment for current spending levels.

Baumgardner said she was tired of hearing that schools needed more funding.

“We kind of continue to hear the beat, beat, beat of the drum, ‘When are we going to fully fund schools?’ ” Baumgardner said. “We are. We have for four years.”

The state constitutional requires adequate and equitable funding of schools. Lawmakers passed a plan five years ago to gradually increase funding each year until reaching an amount in the current school year that is constitutional for the first time since 2008.

Teacher raises

The legislation allows school districts to raise local taxes in order to implement pay raises for teachers.

This provision raises concerns that wealthier districts would have an unfair advantage in attracting teachers, leaving rural districts struggling to recruit and retain educators. Lawmakers who oppose the provision say it will cause an equity issue that may have to be thrashed out in court.

Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.

Rachel Mipro

A graduate of Louisiana State University, Rachel Mipro has covered state government in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. She and her fellow team of journalists were 2022 Goldsmith Prize Semi-Finalists for their work featuring the rise of the KKK in northern Louisiana, following racially-motivated shootings in 1960. With her move to the Midwest, Rachel is now turning her focus toward issues within Kansas public policies.

Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom , the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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Missouri legislature passes expansive K-12 education bill that includes raise for teachers

Kids attending the Ralls County School District board buses at the end of the school day on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Center, Mo. While most of the district’s buses are powered by gas or diesel, it has recently added two electric school buses to its fleet. The buses were obtained via Inflation Reduction Act grants, intended to introduce electric buses to rural and high-need school districts.

Only the second bill passed this session, narrowly passed legislation on its way to Gov. Mike Parson funnels money to private schools through a tax credit scholarship programs.