STATE

Kansas superintendents seeking extra aid outline efficiencies

State council to weigh $15 million in special requests from K-12 districts

Tim Carpenter

School superintendents Robert Shannon and Jeff Bollinger worked Thursday to respond to a request by four Republican legislators for evidence of budget austerity ahead of a meeting in which more than three dozen Kansas districts will seek supplemental state funding.

Shannon, the top administrator in the Manhattan-Ogden district, said a surge in student enrollment prompted an appeal for $400,000.

In southwest Kansas, Satanta Superintendent Bollinger responded to a staggering decline in the district’s property valuation, which factors into school funding, by submitting a request for $485,000.

These recommendations will be weighed Monday by Gov. Sam Brownback and a bipartisan set of legislative leaders on the State Finance Council, which is charged with wading through applications for $15 million in education funding. The council possesses authority by virtue of a 2015 state law to approve all, some or none of the special requests. The council has access to $12 million.

In advance of the meeting, Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, House Speaker Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, and the GOP chairmen of both chambers’ budget committees sent a letter to superintendents seeking additional information about previous budget decisions. Each superintendent was asked to document five examples of the district adopting innovative strategies during the past three years to improve classroom performance. Documents are due by close of business Friday.

Shannon said the district in Riley County was justified in filing a request to address enrollment growth after slicing into cash reserves, raising property taxes and reducing expenditures by $1 million.

Bollinger said the district was rocked by weakness in the energy sector that undercut property values. He said the district is saving money by issuing iPads to students in sixth through 12th grades. Curriculum in language arts, science and social studies is delivered via these computers rather than traditional textbook.

“We're implementing technology to be more efficient,” he said. “It provides a richer educational experience. The digital materials are a far greater cost savings than printed.”

While both would welcome additional resources and are open to discussion of budget adjustments, neither was thrilled by addition of criteria for evaluation of proposals for “extraordinary” needs. State law defines extraordinary need in relation to increases in enrollment, declines in assessed property valuation and other “unforeseen acts or circumstances.”

“Is this going to be used as criteria to determine extraordinary need?” Bollinger said. “It just doesn't seem appropriate to me.”

Rep. Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican and chairman of the House budget committee, said the process could serve as an incubator for good ideas about saving tax dollars. “It's an exercise in sharing a positive message ... as well as inform legislators,” he said.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat who is also on the finance council, said Republicans were injecting a new litmus test to the application process.

“They're creating another layer. I think it’s very inappropriate,” Hensley said.

Twenty-one districts and Satanta proposed appropriations of $6.5 million due to property tax losses. Manhattan-Ogden joined 18 districts in applying for $8.6 million to address rising student enrollment. Satanta’s assessed valuation slipped by 50 percent.