School finance battle — just getting warmed up?

The narrowness of Monday’s passage of Kansas Senate leaders’ three-year, $660 million schools plan out of the Senate Education Committee — a 6-5 vote — does not bode well for the Legislature’s ability to do what the Kansas Supreme Court says it must do to be constitutional. “It keeps the process moving,” said committee Chairwoman Jean Schodorf, R-Wichita. But only just.
The points of friction include: The cost, which conservatives say is too high. The definition of “at-risk” student, which some think should be broadened. And Johnson County, which some say fares too well under the plan’s local-option budget “backfill.” As the full Senate prepares to debate the bill, perhaps Thursday, Kansans should fasten their seat belts. This could get bumpy.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

5 Comments

  1. J M Walker
    Posted March 15, 2006 at 5:28 am | Permalink

    Shows that intelligent design bypassed the Senate Education Committee. It should have passed 11-0.

  2. KansasClassicLiberal
    Posted March 16, 2006 at 3:16 am | Permalink

    Public schools are a big imposition on liberty. From required attendance in government-run institutions to ever-increasing budgets we all must pay for, they impact our lives in many ways.

    If we had meaningful school choice in this state, many of the actions of the board of educations, both state and local, would be less important, as people would have a choice as to where to go to schools. Furthermore, since the public schools would be facing meaningful competition, they would have an incentive to be efficient and accountable to their customers.

    I am surprised that those who vigorously disagree with the current Kansas Board of Education (Democrats, mostly I think) are not in more in favor of expanded school choice. It would let them escape what they believe are ridiculous policies.

  3. OneShot
    Posted March 16, 2006 at 9:31 pm | Permalink

    I agree with you KSClassicLiberal. I think the Democrats you speak of are the typical big government types. They just haven’t figured out that once government is involved then you also inject politics. From the elected school boards to the activist unions.

    The product got lost along the way a long time ago.

  4. JWink
    Posted March 17, 2006 at 6:49 am | Permalink

    Education finance is probably the most important issue facing the Kansas legislature in the current legislative session. But there seems to be a news blackout about the legislative debate on this issue. Last year, the newspapers and radio/TV news were full of reports about this issue.

    Whats going on here? The interested public needs to be included in the discussion.

  5. Hegel
    Posted March 17, 2006 at 9:50 pm | Permalink

    Your children are being spoon fed lies by your capitalistic feudal lords. Your idea of education is nothing more than propaganda, fueled by a fear of communist progress and satiated by your people’s relentless clinging to the superstitions of Christianity. America is nothing more than feudal England. You still employ child labor, you just do it overseas where your child-labor laws do not apply, and where there are no worker’s unions to take legal action against you capitalist pigs! America, land of the “free?” What a sick joke you people are.