Author: David Hicks
Kansas Board of Regents may drop algebra as a college graduation requirement
One out of three college students in Kansas fails algebra, the vice president for academic affairs for the Kansas Board…
Kansas landowners warned about possible identity theft, real estate scam
Property owners in more than a dozen Kansas counties have received a proposal letter and a purchase agreement offering to…
School board resource center offers unbiased information for board members
The Kansas School Board Resource Center, an information source for school board members and taxpayers, was introduced in Topeka before…
Students join in the call for school choice at the Kansas capitol
It was standing…and sitting on the floor…room-only, as some 200 students and educators from as far away as Wichita joined…
Performance-based budgeting law is effectively ignored by state agencies
A report on performance-based budgeting in Kansas reminds readers of a famous quote about government spending: “A billion here, a…
Lansing parent wins school curriculum challenge
Kirsten Workman, the Lansing mom who withdrew her 12th-grade daughter from an English Composition class over content she found objectionable…
Study: large school funding increase but lower achievement, teacher pay
A report on education spending and student achievement covering the last three decades in Kansas shows that many students have…
Interstate compact could bring out-of-state teachers to fill Kansas vacancies, state board hesitates
An interstate compact that would recognize teacher licenses from other states and alleviate the classroom instructor shortage is stalled in…
Property tax relief this year for low-income seniors, disabled vets
Action taken last year by the Legislature and governor will result in several types of property tax relief, including a…
GOP legislators offer Kansans “A Better Way” in 2023
As the Kansas Legislature reconvenes, Republican leaders unveil their 2023 agenda, offering “A Better Way: Our Commitment to Kansas” The…
JOCO Commission Chair’s YouTube excuse for limiting public comment seems bogus
The Sentinel has challenged Johnson County Board of Commissioners Chair Mike Kelly’s excuse for restricting public comments and meeting access…
JOCO Commission Chair Mike Kelly acts to restrict public access to meetings
Incoming Chairman of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) Mike Kelly has announced changes to public access and comment…
Ohio adopts universal occupational license acceptance, Kansas agencies resist
Ohio’s Governor Mike DeWine recently signed into law a Universal Occupational License Recognition allowing licensed professionals such as real estate…
OP councilman says apartment complex approval violates ordinance
The recent approval in the Overland Park City Council of a 413-unit apartment complex is another example of undue influence…
Kansas loses population while neighboring states gain
Kansas is one of 18 states to see a decline in population between July 2021 and July 2022, according to…
Rose Hill patrons question curriculum, content in BCC dual credit courses
Taxpayers in the Rose Hill USD 394 school district voiced concerns at a recent school board meeting about curriculum content…
Jobless Kansas families can receive $73,000 annualized in taxpayer subsidies
“Sorry, we’re short-staffed” How many of us have heard that in the last two years when we’ve gone out to…
Prairie Hills school district to vote on closing Wetmore Academic Center
The Prairie Hills USD 113 Board of Education will meet Saturday, February 4th, at 10:00 am in the Wetmore Gymnasium…
Oregon teachers quit union, Kansas teachers need legislative relief
Oregon school districts added about 2,100 teachers in the last school year, but union membership in the Oregon Education Association…
Prairie Hills USD 113 to close Wetmore school for financial windfall
The Prairie Hills School Board meets December 12th to consider closing the Wetmore Academic Center, and is expected to schedule…
Grandparent’s complaint on “Jacob’s New Dress” is resolved successfully
When Kansas City, Kansas grandparent Jim Clay looked over Jacob’s New Dress, a book his 4-year-old preschooler brought home, he…
Olathe focuses on equity audit, DEI while achievement plummets
Student achievement is precipitously dropping in Olathe USD 233, but district administration and the board majority seem more concerned about…
New Shawnee TIF: no developer but less money for schools
The Shawnee City Council has approved a new approach to Tax Increment Financing (TIF), one that doesn’t come with a…
KS K-12 spending ranked #11, but ‘bang for the buck’ falls to #38
Public school spending and student achievement in Kansas resemble an escalator; one side (spending) goes up, and the other (achievement)…