TOPEKA, Kan. — The agenda for the single meeting of the Special Education and Related Services Funding Task Force prior to the opening of the 2024 legislative session was released on Friday.
It will be a single two-hour meeting from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024 in Room 112-N at the Kansas Statehouse.
On the agenda for the meeting is leadership elections and then testimony on evidence based solutions for special education funding.
If you wish to testify, you will need to submit testimony to staff at the Kansas Legislative Research Department by 10 a.m. on Jan. 3 by emailing it to [email protected].
Oral presentations will be allowed five minutes to speak on a first-come basis. All other testimony will be written only.
It is important to note that special education, by statute is supposed to be funded at 92 percent of excess cost. Two Reno County schools posted on social media before Christmas what the actual cost for their district is above what the state and federal government provide..
Haven USD 312 said their actual 2022-2023 spending was $1.83 million with $1.3 million provided, so $484,000 in funding that could have been spent on any student had to be spent on special education.
For Buhler USD 313, the shortfall was even greater, as their actual 2022-2023 spending was $5.5 million, with $3.9 million provided, so $1.6 million in funding that could have been spent on any student had to be spent on special education.
The Legislature gavels in on Monday, Jan. 8.
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