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By Dodie Wellshear, Government Relations Consultant

Superintendents deliver message of extreme hardship to Senate committee

Five superintendents delivered an unvarnished message of budget hardship to the Senate Education Committee on Thursday. The five—John Allison, Wichita USD 259; Jim Lentz, Augusta USD 402; Tom Trigg, Blue Valley USD 229; Craig Wilford, Derby USD 260; and Jim Karleskint, Holton USD 336—outlined in detail the depth, breadth, and impact of budget cuts made in this last year, as well as what would be required if further budget cuts are exacted of Kansas schools.

All five talked of the strenuous efforts of districts statewide to keep the impact of the budget cuts as far away from classroom instruction and student learning as possible. However, as all are aware, classrooms have already been impacted by measures such as combined or larger class sizes and loss of classroom aides, and further cuts will not allow further protection of student learning.

This message has been well-delivered by school administrators; NOW is the time to get parents, businesses, and local chambers of commerce involved as well. Legislators are growing more immune to the voices of school administrators and teachers, who they can tend to see as being merely “self-serving,” but they must listen to the voices of voters in their districts.

It is going to take a groundswell of voters and business leaders across the state to convince legislators that further cuts are unacceptable and that revenue measures must be explored, so that student learning opportunities don’t start taking a huge slide backwards.

Now is the time to take the message to parents and community members, letting them know the state of affairs for your districts, and urging them to contact legislators. Just a simple call or email to legislators is what it will take—no form letters or petitions!

Sales tax hearings begun in House committee; superintendents present

The House Taxation Committee began hearings Thursday, January 21st, on HB 2475, which would raise the state sales tax by one-percent—from 5.3 cents, to 6.3 cents, on the dollar. Again, superintendents were on hand, working for a possible alternative to extreme budget-cutting measures in our state.

Superintendents Julie Dolley, Argonia USD 359, and Mike Mathes, Seaman USD 345, relayed the perilous impact of budget cuts on their districts and implored legislators to join with them in finding an alternative to budget cuts that could significantly damage student learning and educational opportunities for students across this state.

Hearings on HB 2475 continue on Tuesday, January 26th, when the committee will be hearing from opponents to the sales tax proposal.

As compelling as the testimony was from the superintendents and others concerned about education and social services in our state, it is unlikely the legislature will approve a sales tax increase… at least, this early in the session. Keep working to get the message out to parents and business leaders in your local communities, though, urging them to contact legislators in support of their schools.

Committees of interest for the week of January 25th

Monday, January 25

9:30 am, Senate Judiciary Committee, Room 548-S

Hearing on:

• SCR 1621—Expenditure of public funds to finance litigation against the state

10:30 am, Senate Ways & Means Committee, Room 548-SHearing on:

Hearing on:

• SB 404—Early high school graduation scholarship program

1:30 pm, Senate Education Committee, Room 152-S

• Presentations by: Dave Trabert, Kansas Policy Institute (an anti-public education group) and Mark Tallman, KASB

3:30 pm, House Education Budget Committee, Room 159-S

Hearings on:

• HB 2280—Eliminates capital improvement and capital outlay state aid
  HB 2239—Createsu uniform state accounting system for the recording and reporting of districts’ receipts and expenditures

Wednesday, January 27

9:00 am, House Education Committee, Docking Room 711

Presentation on:

• Communities in Schools, by Terry Leatherman

Hearing on:

• HB 2495—Relating to schools’ mill levy and allowing procedure for eliminating property tax exemption in districts

If you are interested in presenting written or oral testimony on any of these bills, please contact Cheryl Semmel at the USA|Kansas office: csemmel@usakansas.org or (785) 232-6566.