Education Spending Archives - Kansas Policy Institute

2017 NAEP – small gain but long way to go 0
- Education
- April 16, 2018
The 2017 NAEP results (National Assessment of Educational Progress) released last week show a few small gains for Kansas students but proficiency levels remain stubbornly low, especially for low income students. Low income students, who are identified by Kansas education officials as being eligible for free or reduced lunch, gained considerable ground in 4th Grade
READ MORE
What’s in the House school funding plan?0
- Education
- March 31, 2018
The House school funding plan that developed last week proposes to give schools $500 million more over five years in hope of appeasing the Kansas Supreme Court. There would be an increase in special education funding but most of the money goes to increasing base state aid. Ironically, a constitutional amendment was also introduced that
READ MORE
School funding is adequate for 92% graduation rate 0
- Education
- March 26, 2018
Revised estimates from the authors of the WestEd cost study show current school funding is adequate to produce up to a 92 percent high school graduation rate. That’s not to validate the notion that funding can be calculated to produce any particular outcome, mind you, but judges and others who buy into the theory and
READ MORE

School lobby pushes money correlation myth 0
- Education
- March 24, 2018
The new WestEd school cost study says “funding alone is not enough;…if one fails to consider how well resources are used, then increasing how much resources are provided may have a limited effect on student outcomes.” But the Kansas school lobby is vigorously pushing the money correlation myth, hoping legislators and parents will think spending
READ MORE
KNEA deceives teachers on school efficiency 0
- Education
- March 20, 2018
The state’s largest Kansas teacher union, KNEA, is distorting a statement in the new cost study to deceive teachers on school efficiency; they want teachers to believe school boards and administrators aren’t wasting money. Teachers who’ve been using their own money to buy classroom supplies routinely witness money being wasted. District representatives and lobbyists have
READ MORE
WestEd cost study has media pushing huge tax hikes 0
- Education, Tax & Spending
- March 17, 2018
Preliminary results of the WestEd cost study on school funding have media and some legislators salivating over the prospect of billions more being poured in Kansas schools, without even passing concern over the devastating tax hikes that would be required. Media’s read on the WestEd cost study says $1.8 billion to $2.1 billion more is
READ MORE