According to data from the Kansas Department of Education, school districts statewide increased total spending by about 4% in the 2023-24 school year, well over the 2.9% rate of inflation. However, the most important aspect of school spending—instruction—barely kept up with inflation.
Districts averaged $18,324, and many spent over $20,000 per student. While a significant portion of the 111 high-spending districts have low enrollment, some do not.
According to an article at the Kansas Policy Institute — which owns the Sentinel — USD 500 Kansas City spent $22,297 per student, and Salina spent $23,402. Great Bend, Independence, McPherson, and Winfield also spent more than $20,000 per student.
Administration expenses increased more than instruction, jumping 6.3%, with instruction spending increasing only 3.3%. Food service also increased by 6%.
Spending per student data is available for all school districts at KansasOpenGov.org.
Spending on instruction not meeting legislative targets
Only about half of the average $18,324 of per-pupil spending went to actual instruction last school year, as defined by KSDE
After a 2005 court-ordered funding increase, the Kansas Legislature passed a public policy resolution calling on school districts to allocate 65% of total spending to direct interactions between teachers and students. At the time, 54.2% of total spending went to instruction.
Districts roundly ignored that resolution and never allocated more than 55% of funding to instruction—only 53.2% went there last school year.
“Had school districts allocated 65% of spending to Instruction since 2005, there would have been $13.2 billion more spent on direct interactions between teachers and students,” KPI CEO Dave Trabert wrote. “Increasing the Instruction allocation does not guarantee better outcomes. Still, it is worth noting that while districts decline to reallocate resources, proficiency levels remain unacceptably low, and college readiness (ACT) plummeted from 32% in 2015 to just 18% last year.
“This is yet another example of why student outcomes can’t change until adult behaviors change.”
