Monday, March 24, 2014

Happy Birthday Craig

My little boy turns 25 today.

Saturday, March 08, 2014

School Funding Unconstitutional

Kansas high court: School funding unconstitutional

By Katie Lamb, Joplin Globe

Mar 7, 2014

In a highly anticipated ruling Friday, the Kansas Supreme Court said the state’s current public school funding levels are unconstitutional and sent the case back to lower court for more review.
In the 110-page decision, the court said Kansas’ poor school districts were harmed when the state made the decision to cut certain payments when tax revenues declined during the Great Recession.
The state Supreme Court sent the case back to district court for more review to “promptly” determine what the adequate amount of funding should be, but didn’t set a deadline for a hearing.
“We’re confident when the trial court does this, we’re going to prevail again or even improve our entire case,” John Robb, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said during a conference call Friday. “We view this as a huge victory for Kansas kids.”
A July 1 deadline was set for legislators to restore money for two funds aimed at helping poorer districts with capital projects and general school operations.
The next step is for the Legislature to react, Robb said, adding he’s optimistic.
“They may bluster about this for a bit,” he said. “But in the end, they’ll do what they took an oath to do — support the constitution.”
State Sen. Jake LaTurner, R-Pittsburg, said he thought the court made “a wise decision” and “set a tremendous example for other high courts around the country.”
“The Supreme Court acted within their powers,” LaTurner said. “They didn’t overstep their bounds, and they didn’t order the Legislature to put money back in like the lower court did.”
LaTurner said the Supreme Court started talking about something that is important, “and that is the equality of school funding across the state of Kansas.”
“For me, I probably represent more poor school districts than anyone is the Legislature,” he said, adding now the matter of inequality will be taken seriously, and kids across Kansas should have the same opportunities no matter where they live.
David Carriger, superintendent of the Columbus School District, said the district has eliminated 16 staff positions and about $1.5 million has been cut out of its budget over the past five years.
“I think the majority of superintendents have had to make difficult decisions over the last few years,” Carriger said. “Our class size is good, but of course everybody has to do a little bit more.”
Carriger said he wants to see fair funding across the state for kids.
“I want to see a student from Columbus have the same opportunities as students from Kansas City, Lawrence or Wichita,” he said.
A state Department of Education official estimates legislators must increase funding by $129 million, in addition to the more than $3 billion the state has budgeted for the 2014-2015 school year.
The case also has broader implications beyond the classroom: Kansas enacted sweeping cuts to income taxes in 2012 and 2013 championed by Gov. Sam Brownback that have reduced the amount of available resources to comply with a court order. Lawmakers could be forced to reconsider the tax measures, which Kansas and other Republican-run states have pushed as a means to stimulate their economies.
LaTurner said there are a number of options that can be taken to provide the funding, but “I just don’t know what the most popular method is going to be at this point.”
Kansas legislators had delayed any decisions on school funding until the high court made a final judgment.
The lawsuit was filed in 2010 on behalf of parents and school districts who argued the state had harmed students because spending cuts resulted in lower test scores. State attorneys maintained that legislators did their best to minimize cuts to education.
A three-judge panel in Shawnee County District Court said in January 2013 that the lawsuit was valid, and the state appealed that ruling to the high court.
Brownback, Attorney General Derek Schmidt and legislative leaders scheduled a Friday afternoon news conference to discuss the ruling.
“This is a complex decision that requires thoughtful review,” Brownback said in a statement. “I will work with leadership in the Kansas Senate and House to determine a path forward that honors our tradition of providing a quality education to every child and that keeps our schools open, our teachers teaching and our students learning.”
Because no issues involving the U.S. Constitution were raised, there’s no appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the lawsuit, attorneys representing four school districts and parents alleged that Kansas reneged on promises made in 2006 to provide a certain level of funding for the Kansas’ public schools, namely that the failure to provide money for classroom instruction has harmed the state’s education system — including programs aimed at helping poor and minority students.
In recent years, school districts have trimmed their staffs, cut after-school programs and raised fees for parents.
State attorneys had said legislators did the best they could to maintain education spending among the reduced available revenues during the recession, pointing to efforts to raise the state sales tax rate in 2010 and the reliance on federal stimulus funding to keep spending stable.
Brownback’s personal income tax cuts will be worth nearly $3.9 billion over the next five years, and he has claimed that Kansas is leading a low-tax, small-government “American renaissance.” Republican leaders in the GOP-dominated Legislature suggested before they convened in January that they might resist an order for more spending.
Dianne Piche, director of education programs at the Washington-based Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said Republican extremists are cutting education budgets “to the bone” in some states.
“At the same time, we’re entering an era where there’s a consensus in this country that the education systems need to be amped up and not watered down,” Piche said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

State constitutions
All states have language in their constitutions for providing public school funding. But Kansas’ courts in the past have been strong and specific in spelling out how the state must carry out that responsibility, and education advocates wondered earlier this year whether the push in Kansas to base funding on costs — not political considerations — would continue, perhaps emboldening parents and educators in other states.

Saturday, March 01, 2014

Only 20 Weeks to Go

Allison and Amelia in the Texas Hill Country this weekend as Brian and Allison celebrate their 5th anniversary. I can't wait to see the little KansTexan, who will definitely be a Sooner fan.

Sooners

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Joplin Globe

Columbus School Board OKs May bond issue vote

By Katie Lamb

Feb 11, 2014 09:47 PM

The Columbus School Board on Monday night approved asking voters in May two questions that combined would provide more than $30 million to the district for renovations and construction, including a new elementary school.
Superintendent David Carriger said the district hasn’t had a bond issue in more than 30 years, and some of its buildings are falling apart.
About 2 1/2 years ago, the school board did a strategic plan to look at the aging buildings, Carriger said. Then, about a year ago, a survey sent to the community suggested that Columbus residents wanted to see additional school buildings, he said.
Carriger said a residents advisory committee made up of 30 members has been working on a master plan for about seven months, and its findings were presented to the board two weeks ago. After more input from the community last week, the board adopted the proposal Monday night, and the questions will be on a May 6 ballot.
The first question, asking for $23.1 million, includes building a new school for students in first through eighth grades; remodeling the pre-kindergarten building; and making renovations at the high school, including making the school’s entrance more secure and renovating the football stadium.
The second question, costing $7.5 million, includes additional improvements at the high school and football stadium.
Carriger said the state of Kansas would pay 34 percent if either the first or both questions are approved by voters. The rest would be paid with an increase in property taxes.
If the first question is approved, Carriger said, the debt would raise the current mill levy of 49.94 to 66.54. That would equate to an increase of about $143 a year for the owner of a $70,000 home, which Carriger said is the average home value in Cherokee County.
If both measures are approved, the mill levy would be raised to 71.94. That would equate to an increase of about $190 a year for the owner of a $70,000 home, Carriger said.
Carriger said the board has been conservative over the past few years by not asking taxpayers for additional assistance. The committee determined that instead of putting money into old buildings, new construction would be the best way to use taxpayer money, he said.
“It’s something we need not only for our kids, but for our community,” Carriger said.

Timeline

IF THE BALLOT QUESTIONS are approved by voters in a special election May 6, Superintendent David Carriger said, construction probably would start this fall and would take up to 2 1/2 years to complete.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Bond Issue Approved

Monday night, the USD 493 Board of Education approved a May 6 Bond Issue for a new grade 1-8 attendance center and renovations at Park and CUHS. More information will be shared after the formal resolution takes place on February 17.