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Topeka holding districts hostage Last Updated: March 12, 2015 The Kansas Legislature should be ashamed of itself for promising one thing and delivering another. With allotments and budget reductions, the governor and lawmakers are, once again, placing public school districts in a position of panic, near the end of a school year when districts are supposed to be focused on what we expect them to do — educate our children. It's not right. Districts should not have to scramble at the end of the school year to make last-minute budget cuts to handle the state's tax revenue shortfall. Unfortunately, that's where they find themselves again. While funding cuts, late state aid payments and threats of shortfalls are nothing new, there's a new sense of panic this time around in light of discussions about the state issuing block grants until legislators can develop a new funding formula. Some district leaders fear that funding freezes are inevitable, that state aid will become a smaller and smaller tool that property value-poor districts — like Valley Center — heavily rely on to fund operations. We understand the fear. We call on our local legislators — Rep. Steve Huebert and Sen. Carolyn McGinn — to do something about this. It was disturbing to hear Valley Center Superintendent Cory Gibson answer "none" when one of his board members asked what kind of response he has received from local representatives on the issue of block grants and a new funding formula on March 9. We were heartened later this week when Gibson said he discussed the issues with Huebert. Our local legislators should be in the district's corner. The education of Valley Center's students is in the balance. — The Ark Valley News |
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