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USD 259 Reacts To Impending Funding Cuts

Wichita Public Schools

Governor Sam Brownback announced on Thursday that he was cutting funding for Kansas public schools at rate of 1.5 percent. That means a reduction of $28 million in funding across the board. KMUW’s Sean Sandefur reports how this might affect Wichita Public Schools…

The statewide cuts will take effect on March 7.

Wichita School Board President Sheril Logan says her district must clear $3 million from their budget, and they’ll need to do it quickly.

“It’s not like you’ve got a long time to plan for it," she says. Our budget is set, and we’ve hired all of our people, and now we have to take a $3 million cut.”

Logan adds that a 1.5 percent cut in funding might not sound like a lot, but that 80 percent of their budget is already tied up in salaries.

“You’re talking about moving $3 million out of what’s left in that budget once you take all your commitments for salaries.”

School administrators are still unclear over what is being cut. Sheryl Logan says they’ll discuss their decisions at the Wichita school board meeting next Monday night.

The Effect Of Spending Cuts By District

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Follow Sean Sandefur on Twitter, @SeanSandefur