TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Local property taxes could rise across Kansas under an education funding bill approved by legislators, and critics contend that the distribution of state funding would become less fair to poor school districts.
Republican supermajorities in both chambers passed the plan last month to comply with a state Supreme Court order in February to improve funding for poor schools. They hoped to head off the court’s threat to shut down schools statewide if lawmakers don’t fix education funding problems by June 30.
The status of school funding issues:
___
REDISTRIBUTING STATE FUNDS
The Supreme Court’s ruling in February said the state wasn’t giving poor school districts their fair share of its $4 billion-plus in annual aid. The court ruled in lawsuit filed in 2010 by the Dodge City, Hutchinson, Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas districts.
The bill on Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s desk would redistribute $83 million of the aid already promised to the 286 local districts for 2016-17.
Supporters said the redistribution would help poor districts, but the state wouldn’t boost its overall spending and no district would see a cut in its state funding.
John Robb, an attorney representing the four districts, said Kansas merely would be “renaming the money” it already provides, not helping poor districts.
In a formal protest against the bill, Democratic Reps. John Carmichael and Jim Ward of Wichita said the state should have increased its overall aid.
___
LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES
School districts are allowed to impose property taxes to supplement state funding they receive for general operations. When districts impose local taxes, the state kicks in extra funds to ensure that poorer ones don’t fall too far behind wealthier ones.
The bill would reduce that category of aid so that money could be redistributed. But it would also allow districts to increase their local property taxes further to raise extra money for their schools.
“The potential is definitely that the property taxes will go up across the state,” said Jim Freeman, chief financial officer for the Wichita school district.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, said the bill’s property tax provisions give local boards of education more flexibility.
“The flexibility was wanted by the schools,” he said.
But some districts aren’t likely to use the new authority because they don’t think local voters would support higher property taxes. Superintendent Alan Cunningham noted that Dodge City voters last year approved nearly $86 million in bonds to expand existing buildings.
“We would not dare go back to them and ask for more,” Cunningham said.
___
WAITING ON GOVERNOR, COURT
Brownback has until Friday to act on the bill. He has not said what he will do and his office says it is still reviewing the measure, but GOP legislators expect him to sign it.
“We need to have schools open,” said Superintendent Todd White of the Blue Valley district in Johnson County. “We have a real line drawn in the sand that we need to attend to.”
The state Supreme Court also is expected to review the measure later this month.
Legislators are taking their annual spring break but reconvene April 27 to wrap up business for the year - giving them another crack at school funding issues if the court doesn’t like the measure.
___
QUESTIONS ABOUT ’EQUITY’
The bill’s property tax provisions are likely to be a key issue for the state Supreme Court.
Robb said the redistribution of existing dollars wouldn’t be fairer for poor districts. He also said allowing districts to increase local property taxes would help wealthier districts get further ahead of poorer ones and prevent Kansas from fulfilling its duty under the state constitution to provide a suitable education to every child.
White said his Blue Valley district backed the measure, understanding that it was a “one-year fix” that could pass because no district would lose money. Legislators expect to write a new funding formula next year.
“It’s the best available opportunity we have to address the court’s mandate,” White said.
___
Online:
Information about school funding plan: https://bit.ly/1RzGMbV
Information about plan’s effects on districts: https://bit.ly/21VafTr
___
Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna
Please read our comment policy before commenting.