USA|Kansas

LEPC makes 2010 recommendations to legislature

The Legislative Educational Planning Committee, a joint legislative committee comprised of House and Senate members, today finalized their recommendations to the 2010 Legislature, regarding K-12 and higher education.

Chaired by Sen. Jean Schodorf (R-Wichita), the committee made the following K-12 education recommendations:

School Finance

School finance not to go below 2006 level and ask the governor not to request a federal waiver allowing the state to go below that level. (Motion by: Sen. John Vratil, R-Leawood)
- Rep. Eber Phelps (D-Hays) remarked that just as superintendents have made strong, good-faith efforts to cut budgets with the least impact to students, the Legislature needs to make an equally strong effort to find revenue to appropriately fund schools.
- Only three committee members—Rep. Owen Donohoe (R-Bonner Springs), Rep. Deena Horst (R-Salina), and Rep. Steve Huebert—voted against the motion.

Catastrophic Special Education Aid

Introduced 2010 Commission’s recommendation (Motion by: Rep. Deena Horst, R-Salina; second by Rep. JoAnn Pottorff, R-Wichita)
- Threshold set at $56,400
- Indexed for inflation
- Eliminates double-dipping
Introduced second (alternate) bill by Sen. John Vratil (R-Leawood)

Threshold set for $36,000
Indexed for inflation at CPI-U
Eliminates double-dipping
Sets up a separate “Catastrophic Aid Fund,” subject to appropriations and keeping excess costs in another fund

Facilities

Support SB 340, pre-filed for 2010 by Sen. John Vratil, which would essentially treat all Psychiatric Treatment Residential Facilities (PTRF’s) and Youth Residential Facilities (YRF’s) equally and the same, effective in school year 2011-12
- Currently two facilities, the Judge Riddel Boys Ranch (Wichita) and the Youth Residential Center at Atchison, are allowed to count each pupil twice. This bill would cause all PTRF’s and YRF’s to count pupils only once.

The Committee considered the 2010 recommendation of asking the governor to move the tiny-k and Early Head Start programs—currently housed in KDHE and SRS, respectively—under the auspices of the Kansas State Department of Education; however, a motion to do so was defeated.

The LEPC also declined to make any recommendation on school district reorganization. Rather, chairwoman Schodorf and most other members of the committee, asked that in their report to the Legislature comments be included to recognize the good-faith efforts made by superintendents, teachers, school boards and others in the K-12 education system to provide quality education during very trying times. Senator Schodorf said she appreciated all of the administrators, special education directors, and others who took time to testify before the committee this Interim.

Next week: House Appropriations Committee meets on November 23 and 24 to hear testimony and make possible recommendations.