Per the Kansas State Supreme Court, the Kansas Legislature has fully funded education – including Special Education (SPED) – for the last 5 years.
There is an issue with the way money is counted, or not counted, by school districts. Because of this, the SPED funding formula has impacted some districts inequitably, even though overall funding is adequate. The Kansas Legislature has encouraged the Kansas State Board of Education to address this issue by directing funding to those districts affected.
We need transparency, honesty and consistency in counting the money. I look forward to working on this issue with all education partners.
The Kansas Policy Institute gets down in the weeds on this subject and explains the numbers in detail.
Since this subject has been largely addressed through the Kansas legislature and Kansas judiciary, I believe the important things is to ensure the money that has been properly funded is also properly implemented.