The consolidation of school districts in Kansas is off the table at least for now. The legislation would have cut in half the number of school districts in the state.
When the bill had a hearing in the House Education Committee, it was clear opposition was mounting from all over the state. The room was packed, many educators driving hours to testify against the bill.
Rep. Jarrod Ousley, a Democrat from Merriam who’s on the education committee, says it appears their was so much push back that the committee chairman decided to forego action on the bill. Consolidation, however, could resurface later in the session.
There are still plenty of controversial education bills bouncing around the Kansas Statehouse. On Monday afternoon, the education committee could act on a bill to expand tax credits for students who go to private or religious schools. Later this week, it’s scheduled to work on a measure that would strip due process rights away from community college faculty.
