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Positions and Topics

Advocacy Topics - Catch up on the Latest Legislative Topics in Kansas Public Education

Legislative Information and Topics

 

For more than a century, KASB has been focused on one goal: Supporting student success by helping our members lead, serve and advocate. Part of this work involves advocating for the issues that matter most to Kansas school districts. 

KASB members officially adopted our 2025 Legislative Priorities that will shape our advocacy efforts throughout the upcoming legislative session. The key priorities include:

Public Dollars for Public Schools 

Taxpayers expect and deserve transparency. Protecting tax dollars for public schools means accountability to students, parents, and their communities. 

Full Funding for Special Education 

Without the state funding required by Kansas law, districts must use general fund dollars to cover mandatory special education services. This workaround shortchanges all students. 

Re-Up the Finance Formula 

The school finance formula in Kansas has worked well for decades. Renewing it, taxpayers can continue to support student success and districts can depend on predictable budgeting.  

Develop, Recruit and Retain Great Educators  

Kansas teachers and education support staff are in short supply. Districts need flexibility and resources to maximize opportunities to develop, recruit and retain the best educators. 

Restore Flexibility and Local Control in Serving At-Risk Students

Every Kansas community is unique. A locally elected board of education is best equipped with the insight and authority to respond flexibly to local needs and expectations.  

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  • We love Kansas because…

     

    Our public schools are the lifeblood of the smallest towns and largest cities.

    Our students are prepared to thrive in work and in life.

    Every community is a place of opportunity to earn a living and raise a family.

     

    WE MUST DEFEND KANSAS VALUES
    No matter what it’s called, any scheme to divert tax dollars from public schools is a voucher. Kansas taxes shouldn't support unaccredited schools that threaten kids' learning and safety...

    • No way to know if students are learning
    • No background checks are required
    • No oversight by KSDE or any other organization
    • No requirements to report student abuse/neglect

     

    VOUCHERS HURT RURAL TOWNS
    Vouchers for unaccredited schools hurt small towns because public schools lose funding. When a rural school closes, the town loses their mascot, their teachers and a major employer.

     

    VOUCHERS INVITE FRAUD
    In Arizona, vouchers for unaccredited schools have been misused to buy theme park tickets, Disney+ subscriptions, kayaks, $750 espresso machines, bounce houses and more. Kansas tax dollars should not be wasted.

     

    VOUCHERS HURT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
    In Indiana and Ohio, vouchers for unaccredited schools caused a bigger decline in student achievement than during the COVID pandemic. In Louisiana, voucher learning loss was even worse than the loss from Hurricane Katrina. In all cases, voucher programs created worse outcomes for low-income students and students of color.

     

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    PUBLIC DOLLARS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
    In Indiana and Ohio, vouchers for unaccredited schools caused a bigger decline in student achievement than during the COVID pandemic. In Louisiana, voucher learning loss was even worse than the loss from Hurricane Katrina. In all cases, voucher programs created worse outcomes for low-income students and students of color.

    Kansans have countless reasons to be proud of our public schools. And we believe in their power to prepare every student for a bright future when public resources are invested in their success. In 2023, 9 out of 10 Kansas seniors graduated from high school — an all-time high.

    • In 2023-24, Kansas high school students earned 6,188 professional credentials — a 150% increase since 2009.
    • The 2023 state assessments showed the highest math scores since 2017, long before Covid.
    • Kansas students in public schools often perform as well or better than their private school peers. 

     

    KASB OPPOSES ALL K-12 VOUCHERS

    Whether it's called a Tuition Tax Credit “Scholarship” or an “Education Savings Account,” it's a voucher. Vouchers divert our tax dollars away from public schools that serve all Kansas kids to private schools and unaccredited schools with little or no accountability to parents, students, or taxpayers.

    Each year, KASB members from around the state vote to approve our legislative policies. Section 3 of our 2024 policy opposes all vouchers:

    To ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed, all schools supported by public funds must serve all children on the same basis as public schools. We oppose programs including, but not limited to, vouchers, education savings accounts and tuition tax credits, because such programs divert public funding from public education to schools which are not required to serve all students, including those who are disadvantaged, disabled or those with the greatest needs.

     

    2 THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW

    1. Spread the word about how vouchers threaten Kansas communities and students.
    2. Urge Kansas lawmakers to oppose any school voucher proposals or programs.

     

    SOURCES AND ADDITIONAL READING

    Vouchers used for fraudulent expenses:

     

    Vouchers hurt rural: AZ school closures:

     

    Learning loss worse than COVID:

     

    Vouchers most benefit families already enrolled in private schools

  • House Testimony

     

     

     

    Senate Testimony

    SCR 1603 – Proposing to amend section 1 of article 11 of the constitution of the state of Kansas to limit property tax valuation increases for real property and personal property classified as mobile homes.