School Funding Archives - Kansas Policy Institute

As COVID-19 triggers financial hardship, Gov. Kelly spares government the pain 0
- Tax & Spending
- July 2, 2020
COVID-19 and government orders continue to wreak havoc on Kansans’ livelihood and finances. Under an economic recession, the state government should feel the pain as well. However, with a looming $1.5 billion state budget shortfall, Gov. Kelly refuses to balance the budget. Instead, her latest plan intends to skip debt payments, push spending into the
READ MORE
Kelly’s K-12 budget plan favors government over taxpayers 0
- Education
- June 26, 2020
When Governor Kelly signed the school funding bill in 2019, she knew it would create large budget deficits within two years. One highly placed source asked her what she would do if the state ran short of money, and she replied, “Well if we can’t afford it, I’ll just tell the court we can’t afford
READ MORE
Kansas #6 in state aid but #36 in achievement productivity 0
- Education
- May 27, 2020
The 2018 Public Education Finance data from the U.S. Census again confirms Einstein’s definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. Spending per pupil increased by 3.8% nationwide – more than twice the rate of inflation – but achievement is flat or down in most states. Per-pupil spending
READ MORE

Education shouldn’t be exempt from COVID budget cuts 0
- Education
- May 5, 2020
With the State of Kansas facing up to a $1 billion shortfall next year in an $8 billion General Fund budget, there can be no ‘sacred cows’ exempt from COVID budget cuts. K-12 education consumes about half of the budget and with $843 million in funding, higher education takes another 11%. Most legislators knew the
READ MORE
2020 K-12 Fact Book 0
- Education Research
- April 22, 2020
Aside from ACT scores, all data in this Fact Book come from official government sources, including local school districts, the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE), and the U.S. Department of Education. All data are the most current available and, unless otherwise noted, span through the 2018-2019 academic year. Additional information (including annual historical data) forREAD MORE
Building-level spending disproves ‘spending drives achievement’ theory 0
- Education
- January 26, 2020
Of the five high schools in USD 500 Kansas City, the one that spends the least amount per-pupil has the highest scores on the state assessment test. Each school has high levels of economically challenged students, but one school earns a ‘B’ for its state assessment results and the other four get an ‘F.’ Spending
READ MORE