In Sunday’s online edition of the Wichita Eagle an opinion piece by Rhonda Holman attempts to address statements by KSBOE member Walt Chappel and reporting by Kansas Policy Institute on school funding. The article barely scratched the surface.

KansasWatchdog added this comment:

KSDE’s Dale Dennis told KSBOE seven districts need help covering late state aid checks. 286 have enough to cover the gap. On July 1 districts had $699 million in unencumbered operating cash. Eventually that might run out, but Kansas has a big cash problem now and districts, by KSDE’s admission, have some extra and can use much of it now.

What do differences in amounts of unencumbered cash say about the “equitable” funding of each student’s education? On July 1 some districts had more than $10,000 per student in operating cash, others nearly none. Are some getting too much money? Are they not putting the money to work for students? Are they just more efficient than other districts?

Why did Topeka School Board members say in a Nov. 6 news story that a $2.7 million cut would cause them to consider closing schools and laying off teachers when they had $4.6 million in contingency reserves and $23.8 million in total operating reserves?

Do more questions need to be asked?

It’s easy reporting to follow the herd. It’s easy management when there’s an unlimited amount of money. Why are educators attacking someone who asks questions, as they are Walt Chappell, rather than asking the same questions themselves?

The Topeka Capitol Journal’s Ric Anderson addressed the reprimand of Walt Chappell by KSBOE Chair Janet Waugh here.