Funding cuts to public schools in Kansas may be more severe than education observers first thought.
Gov. Sam Brownback has proposed that the legislature rewrite the state's school funding formula. While that happens, he has proposed funding K-12 education in fiscal 2016 with block grants.
But a new analysis just released Wednesday by the Kansas Department of Education says money from the state for classroom instruction will be reduced by $127 million next year.
Initially, the department’s analysis had pegged the loss at $107 million.
The administration also proposes to increase funding to KPERS, the teachers' retirement system, by $90 million and boost state aid for some capital projects by $8 million.
Educators argue that retirement and bond contributions don’t directly benefit students. And when those numbers are figured in, the Education Department says, the loss to districts would be about $22 million.
