Author: David Hicks
Small Kansas counties lead the way on spending control
Good things do come in small packages…like taxpayer-friendliness and accountability. Amid the public outcry over ever-increasing property tax bills, several…
Study: Masks get failing grade in keeping kids in school
A study of the nation’s 500 largest school districts indicates that masking children in school had the opposite effect that…
United Van Lines: Kansas is a high outbound state
Kansas continues its trend as a “high outbound” state for migration within the U..S., according to the 2021 United Van…
“Truth in Taxation” helps cut property tax in 21 counties
The new Kansas law aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in local government taxing and spending decisions shows some promise…
Open Enrollment bill narrowly approved in House
Kansas K-12 students will be able to transfer and attend any school district in the state, depending on capacity limitations,…
KPERS Trustees meet Friday to discuss divesting Russian holdings
The nine-member Board of Trustees of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) meets Friday, March 25th, to discuss dumping…
USD 450 rejects parents’ concerns over inappropriate library books
The USD 450 Shawnee Heights school district has twice rejected parents’ concern that their children are exposed to pornography and…
JoCo to administer oaths of office after being caught not doing so
Correcting an oversight and responding to public criticism, Johnson County Kansas Government will now administer oaths of office to all…
Remedial Ed audit finds systemic deficiencies in KS school system
A recently released state audit disclosed that about a third of Kansas high school graduates took at least one remedial…
Kiplinger: Kansas is the third worst tax state for retirees
Dorothy may have to flee Kansas after retirement, as the state is the third worst for tax-friendliness for retirees, says…
18 Kansas teachers pledge to teach CRT tenets
Against a backdrop of schools oppose curriculum transparency and Parents Bill of Rights legislation, comes a reminder that 18 Kansas…
Gov. Kelly’s proposals create budget deficit in five years
A state General Fund budget profile, including Governor Kelly’s $1.2 billion handout to a single company, her other proposals, and…
Judicial selection amendment proposed by Masterson
Senate President Ty Masterson is proposing a constitutional amendment on judicial selection, which would change the manner in which Kansas…
Rose Hill super gets $50k increase to be COVID coordinator
The Rose Hill school board last fall gave its superintendent what appears to be a $50,000 annual increase to also…
Property tax declines if Olathe school bond issue fails
Olathe USD 233 officials stress in their campaign materials and public statements promoting the upcoming $298.3 million school bond issue…
APRN collaborative practice elimination clears Senate Committee
A bill permitting an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) to practice without having to pay a fee to a physician…
Washington Post: expecting freedom is white supremacy
An opinion piece in the Washington Post last week declaring that expecting individual freedom is a “key component of white…
Cities, counties oppose Open Records cost reforms
Representatives from Kansas local governments spoke in opposition to a measure to lower the costs they charge for fulfilling Open…
School officials oppose Parents’ Bill of Rights, transparency
A Parents Bill of Rights guaranteeing transparency and to be informed and involved in their children’s K-12 education was the…
Kansas school calls domestic terrorism a ‘right-wing’ issue
A 9th-Grade history assignment and discussion at Blue Valley West High School in Kansas asked students to explain “What is…
K-12 enrollment still down, but funding keeps rising
Full-time equivalent enrollment is still about 10,000 students lower than pre-pandemic levels, but state and local funding is $840 million…
Johns Hopkins: minimal mortality effect from Covid lockdowns
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have concluded that lockdowns in Europe and the United States resulted in only…
ACTA critical of KS colleges’ degree requirements, graduation
The 2020-21 edition of “What Will They Learn?” by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is sharply critical…
JCCC’s Bowne won’t explain his ‘equity of outcomes’ proposal
Johnson County Community College President Dr. Andy Bowne has upset some faculty members with his call for ‘equitable student outcomes.’…