Topeka.  An “Adequate Yearly Funding” march started at the KNEA Offices on Tuesday morning and ended with a noon-time rally at the state capitol.  The march and rally were in support of more funding for public schools.

We asked the event organizer, Noah Slay,  in the video below to describe what a “suitable” education means, which is required by the Kansas Constitution. 

Later in the video, Gov. Mark Parkinson describes a new 1% sales tax as his solution to fund public schools in this time of economic recession.

Is a tax increase warranted when school spending statewide is up  25.9% from 2005 to 2010 (see table below)?  

Does $12,225 per pupil  provide a “suitable” education in Kansas?  If not, how much more should be spent?

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All of the scheduled speakers listed on the web page spoke at the event except Senate President Steve Morris was conspicuously absent:

• Noah Slay (organizer)
• Christie Slay (organizer)
• Two Shawnee Heights High School students
• Representative Ann Mah
• Senate minority leader Senator Anthony Hensley
• Governor Parkinson
• Representative Paul Davis
• Senator Tom Holland
• 2009 Kansas Teacher of the year Cindy Coachman
• KNEA President Dr. Blake West

Event organizers quoted the following stats on their web page as a justification for more revenue to support schools:

But is the Kansas  base aid per pupil a fair measure of the support given students in our public schools?

Look up the figures for your school district in the table below.  The statewide average increase for just the last 5 years is 25.9% and on average the state spends $12,225 per pupil!

If $12,225 does not provide a “suitable” education in Kansas, how much money is needed?

Kansas K-12 Total Aid Per Pupil: Federal, State, Local -  

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Related: 

• Adequte Yearly Funding event web page
• Kansans, including governor, rally for school spending, taxes, Voice for Liberty in Wichita, March 16, 2010.
• Shawnee Mission School District unveils plan to cut $10 million, Kansas Watchdog, March 8, 2010.
• Kansas Supreme Court won’t reopen school finance case, KC Star Prime Buzz, Feb. 12, 2010.
• Kansas store moves 100 feet to Missouri to avoid taxes, regulations, Kansas Watchdog, Oct. 28, 2009.
• Kansas Supreme Court Selected Opinion Summaries, Montoy et al. v. State of Kansas et al., Docket 93032, July 28, 2006.
• “Suitable” School Salaries in Shawnee Mission School District: $53,002 Median Teacher Salary, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 7, 2005.
• Kansas Supreme Court to Close Kansas Schools?, Kansas Meadowlark, July 2, 2005.
• Kansas Constitutional Crisis? Kansas Supreme Court Usurps Power of Legislature?, Kansas Meadowlark, June 18, 2005.

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Paul Soutar contributed to this article.

Contacts:   KansasWatchdog.org

• Paul Soutar, paul@kansaswatchdog.org
• Earl F Glynn, earl@kansaswatchdog.org