Kansas Ordered to Spend More on Schools

[Florida_Geek]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Kansas-Schools.html

January 3, 2005
Kansas Ordered to Spend More on Schools
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 1:41 p.m. ET

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The state must spend more money on public schools to meet the requirements of the state Constitution, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The court did not say how much additional money would be necessary for the state to have a constitutional school finance system, or exactly what other changes are required. But it said the Legislature must take action by April 12 to ``fulfill its constitutional duty'' to improve public education in Kansas or the court could impose specific steps of its own.

``It is clear increased funding will be required; however, increased funding may not in and of itself make the financing formula constitutionally suitable,'' the court said in an unanimous, unsigned opinion.

The Kansas Constitution says the Legislature must make ``suitable provision'' for financing its schools.

..cut..

But Alan Rupe, the lead attorney for the parents and administrators who sued the state, called it ``a touchdown-home run.''

``There's no way around the fact that the winners in this case are the Kansas school kids and the losers are the legislators who have not lived up to their constitutional responsibility,'' he said. ``Their day of reckoning is here.''

..more at AP

[SheilaT]

1. Unfortunately,

Kansas re-elected a Republican legislature, and so it's not likely they'll get the kind of funding they need. A huge problem is that many of those Republicans simply have no understanding that there is not a lot of waste and fraud in the Kansas school system. The line has been held on spending for a dozen years now, and it's time to understand that there's a reason to pay taxes to have good schools.

Personally, as a Kansan, if a fellow citizen complains about the lack of funding during the next two years, I'll be asking if they voted for Republicans or Democrats for their state representative and senator, and if they say they voted Republican, I'll point out that this is exactly what they voted for.

[StuckinKS]

2. Amen!

Local and out-of-state anti-tax groups come in with their propaganda about wasteful school spending and then their candidates are swept into office. And if they spouted off against gay marriage, their winning margins were even higher!

Sheila, as another Kansan (Wichita), I will follow your lead in educating our electorate.

[atommom]

3. This legislature probably won't fund schools adequately unless

they are forced to. This is where I think we need to push the message that increasing taxes can be the morally correct thing to do.

http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research/rockridge/taxation

[Florida_Geek]

6. that's what the Court say

do it or we will tell you (like forced busing) what to do.

[AliciaKeyedUp]

12. That's why this will be appealed

And it's why Alabama voted against changing its Constitution recently.

[Kber]

10. Re: who you voted for

over the Christmas holiday shopping season my husband and I heard a lot of complaints about the dismal holiday sales. His response -"Who did you vote for?" If the answer was Bush, he'd reply "Me too. Do you think we may have made a mistake?"

(For the record, he both voted for and gave money to Kerry, but it's been fun for him jerking people's chains."

[FightinNewDem]

19. Now the fun starts

The NH Supreme Court issued a similar ruling in its Claremont decision almost a decade ago, and we still haven't straightened the mess out.

NH relies heavily on property taxes to fund education, along with some lottery money and tobacco settlement dough. Unfortunately, property taxes are extremely regressive and unfair.

The legislature actually passed a state income tax in 1999, but it died in a committee of conference when then-Gov. Jeanne Shaheen pressured her senate allies to kill the measure. Her own ill-advised sales tax proposal a few years later went down in flames, and played a huge role in her loss to John "Baby Doc" Sununu.

I hope that Kathleen Sebelius is ready for this fight. She may well have to anger both the education establishment and the anti-ed right at the same time, and it will cost her political capital. She is one of the bright lights in our party, and I would hate to see this end her career prematurely.

[GOPBasher]

4. Wow! I'm shocked!

Right Wingers control Kansas? They won't fund schools? This is crazy!!! I can't believe that! No way! Didn't Kerry win Kansas by 42%? Next thing I know, you'll tell me that gays are hated in Kansas, then I'd REALLY be surprised.

[StuckinKS]

11. Yes, as a gay man in Kansas I see quite a bit of hate.

I moved back here in March after eleven years in California (to care for sick in-laws) and my psyche is still in shock. On the other hand, having sexuality be a non-issue in California, it is fun to see how disarming you can be with some Midwesterners who think you are the first "gay" they have met. I have to settle for changing one person at a time and I just don't have the patience for it.

[GOPBasher]

14. Sorry to hear that.

That sucks. I'm sorry. BTW, welcome to DU! :hi:

[atommom]

15. What a drag. I think Lawrence is probably the most "gay-friendly"

place in Kansas, if you ever look at relocating. I know some gay men who are happy in KC, as well.

[StuckinKS]

17. Yes, Lawrence and KC are both nice

but since we moved back to care for my partner's parents (you know...those real family values), moving would defeat the purpose.

We have three young sons (6, 5 and 2), all with special needs, so school financing is a very important issue personally. We are lucky that Wichita voters did pass a school bond issue a bit before we moved back and so the school facilities are being improved. Now, hopefully increased funding will improve the other educational features.

One of our local state senators (Repug, of course)was quoted in the paper this morning saying something like, "So we give them $100 million and then they come back and ask for more. When does it stop." I want to say "Well sir, it doesn't stop. Paying for our children's education is an ongoing concern. It's not something you pay off like a car loan."

[atommom]

18. Say it again and again and maybe it will start to sink in!

Only one of my sons is in school, but he has special needs. I think that we will have to hold the Legislature's feet to the fire to get anything done, even now that the SC has stepped in.

[KansDem]

5. What the hell are we to do???

For a few years now our Kansas school has solicited the parents of its students for donations to keep nurses, librarians, counselors, and teachers.

We've been pretty successful so far, but when will this "education on the cheap" stop?

I suggest we cut the "Science 101, 'Introduction to Intelligent Design'" course first...

[Blue_Tires]

7. does that include the university system, too?

[hatrack]

8. No, this is K-12 only nt

.

[atommom]

9. Sadly, the only national stories about education in Kansas this year

will probably be stories about this ruling, and stories about the coming BOE evolution debate. :(

[two gun sid]

13. What's a matter with Kansas?

Poorly educated. As it really any wonder such a large portion of the Kansas electorate is taken in by people like Brownback and Roberts. It's a story old as politics itself. Keep the masses ignorant and you can control them.

[Ilsa]

16. What for? Just give all the kids a Bible (King James Version)

and tell them to learn to read it and believe it all literally. They'll be perfectly ready for life at university and the Real World (according to Bush and Falwell).
Not.