NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly's budget, if approved as written, would give quite a bit more money to the state's K-12 schools, specifically to get to the statute level of 92 percent of excess cost for Special Education.
"It is graduated in, to get to that level over five years," Johnson said. "It would be $72 million a year for five years and that seemed to be more palatable, to be able to do that, versus in one chunk."
The amount spent in USD 308 for special education is significant.
"We spend about $4 million out of the general fund, in order for us to make sure we're meeting all of our students needs," Johnson said.
The increase wouldn't replace all of that, but it would be well over a million, almost a million and a half dollars, if funded at 92 percent. There is also an expected increase in the Base State Aid Per Pupil, as well.
"If the governor's budget passes, it would increase the state aid for students, this year that is $4,846 per pupil. That would increase to $5,103. That is a 5.3% increase. This year, it was based on the Consumer Price Index. It wasn't just on an arbitrary number."
If the base state aid increase passes, that would mean a little less than half a million dollars more in future years based on current enrollment. Unlike some previous years, where overall state finances have been tight, there is no purely income based reason not to approve the budget for K-12 as presented, though there may be political reasons that legislators will outline as the session goes along.
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