March 29, 2024

Keeping Media and Government Accountable.

Author: David Hicks

AG opinion on state law raises concerns about legal notices

A Kansas taxpayer is sounding an alarm about a recent opinion by Attorney General Kris Kobach, and its effect on…

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House Speaker Hawkins plans to reduce property tax next year

Vowing that “we’re going to give tax relief”, Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins floated a property tax cut proposal to…

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Kansans show micro schools and hybrids offer innovations in learning

Micro schools are the reimagining of the one-room schoolhouse, where class sizes are usually fewer than 15 students of varying…

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Principal silent on alleged drag queen discussion in Shawnee middle school

A Trailridge Middle School parent is outraged, but the school principal is mum about allegations that their child was subjected…

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LVCO commissioners reject ICE proposal to house deportees

Two weeks after narrowly voting to consider the proposal, the Leavenworth County Commission unanimously dismissed an overture from U.S. Immigration…

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Bonner Springs superintendent defends gender pronoun instruction poster in middle school

Students at Clark Middle School in Bonner Springs can familiarize themselves with the issues involving gender identity pronouns with this…

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Hybrid and micro school summit: One size doesn’t fit all in education

Ten years ago, MIT engineer Kelly Smith began volunteering at his local library teaching computer programming to neighborhood kids along…

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LVCO detention center considered for housing illegal aliens awaiting deportation

In a recent discussion with Leavenworth County commissioners, County Administrator Mark Loughry sought to address what he called “misinformation circulated…

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Some districts still pay dues to Schools for Fair Funding

More than four years after the Kansas Supreme Court compelled school funding to be increased by more than $1 billion,…

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Governing article suggests school board members add “lobbyist” to their skillsets

As school board campaigns head into the fall, the online newsletter Governing is offering candidates and incumbents a “How-To” in…

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property taxes truth in taxation increase

Switched vote insures Lansing school district patrons won’t see tax increase

The USD 469 Board of Education in Lansing has approved a budget for the 2023-2024 school year that will not…

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Dueling news releases show rift widening in aftermath of Wetmore closing

The ongoing financial dispute stemming from the closure of the Wetmore Academic Center (WAC) between USD 113 Prairie Hills and…

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USD 453 budget video makes deceptive property tax claims

New Leavenworth Superintendent Dr. Kellen Adams posted a recent video to justify the proposal for USD 453 to exceed the…

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Family fights city’s red tape seeking to separate boy from emotional support animal

A two-year-old Vietnamese potbellied pig name Ginger and the nine-year-old boy who relies on her for emotional support are in…

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Shawnee Mission School District must pay $400K to family in special education dispute

A federal court in Kansas ordered the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) to pay a Westwood family $400,000 for legal…

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Ethics Commission: No conflict of interest if school board member also works for KNEA

Shawnee Heights School Board Member Lauren Tice Miller’s additional responsibility as Director of Legislative and Political Advocacy for the Kansas…

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Controversy continues following closing of Wetmore Academic Center

The Wetmore Academic Center (WAC) buildings are vacant as its former students prepare to return to classes elsewhere this fall,…

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County Attorney Joel Ensey: “insufficient evidence” for raid on Marion County Record

Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey issued a stunning press release, saying yesterday he reviewed the warrant application for the raid…

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Police raid on Marion County newspaper raises First and Fourth Amendment concerns

The August 11th raid on the newsroom of the Marion County Record and its publisher’s home and confiscation of computers,…

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Revenue-Neutral hearing dates set across Kansas…here’s where you can attend

Your chance to tell elected officials what you think of property tax increases is coming up soon, and history indicates…

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$1,000 KEEP grants available to Kansas students to combat pandemic learning loss

The Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP), using $50 million in federal Covid-19 relief funds, offers $1,000 grants to eligible Kansas…

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Federal judge hobbles “Kansas Two-Step”

Writing that the Kansas Highway Patrol “waged war on motorists,” U.S. District of Kansas Senior Judge Kathryn H. Vratil ordered…

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Recall of Leavenworth School Board Member Vanessa Reid fails

Supporters of a campaign to oust USD 453 board member Vanessa Reid failed to gather the required number of signatures…

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Overland Park officials blow off residents’ requests for help with storm cleanup

You might think an elected offical of city that hiked property tax more than three times the combined rates of…

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