Dems Want State Surplus Spent On Schools

Tue, January 10, 2012

Click Image to Enlarge

AP / Briana O’Higgins

Democrats are suggesting legislators use some of the state’s expected revenue surplus to restore cuts to Kansas public schools. KMUW’s Briana O’Higgins reports.

The plan outlined today in Topeka and Johnson County calls for increasing school funding by $45 million in the 2012-13 school year, $45 million more in 2013-14 and $90 million in 2014-15.

Democrats say the increases will raise the base aid per student from the current $3,780 dollars to $4,047 dollars by 2015.

In addition, Democrats want to restore a program that sends revenue to cities and counties to lower property taxes. They propose giving local governments $45 million in the coming year, also from the state’s reserves.
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback is proposing that the state rewrite the current funding formula to give school districts more authority to raise revenue.