Tag: Dave Trabert
Senate Tax Committee mulls limit on taxable assessed valuation increases
The Kansas Legislature is again taking up a bill this year that would put a proposed amendment to the Kansas…
Wichita rushes sales tax increase to special election in March
At its most recent meeting, the Wichita City Council approved a ballot measure that would put a 1% sales tax…
Per capita county spending drives up property tax; analysis shows efficiency opportunities
Wallace County homeowner Imtiaz Stephen was shocked to open his property tax notice to see that he owes almost $12,000…
KSBRC Summit discusses ways to reverse declining student achievement with “Results Now”
The Kansas School Board Resource Center (KSBRC), like The Sentinel, part of the Kansas Policy Institute (KPI), brought together dozens…
Kansas ACT scores, college-readiness hit new lows
ACT scores for 2025 were released this week, showing yet another decline and hitting a new all-time low. The composite…
KSDE, State Board of Education ignore state literacy law
You might think that the State Board of Education would be laser-focused on addressing the serious literacy problem in Kansas.…
Legislators hear property tax issues: land value manipulation, businesses fleeing Kansas and voter demands for reform
The Kansas Constitution (Article 11, Section 1) stipulates that “the legislature shall provide for a uniform and equal basis of…
Audit: faulty free lunch eligibility by school officials cost taxpayers at least $38 million
Kansas, like many states, uses the number of students receiving free lunches to determine at-risk state funding for each district,…
The majority of parents and teachers favor ESAs, but Kansas legislators prioritize administrators over students
Nearly three out of four teachers support Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in America, and optimism among educators about their profession…
Kansas #15 for per-student spending, #40 in NAEP outcomes
A new analysis by Kansas Policy Institute shows that the Sunflower State ranks #15 for cost-of-living-adjusted spending per student, but…
Senate Tax Committee preserves revenue-neutral, adds protest petition to control property tax increases
The Kansas Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation restored the revenue-neutral transparency protections to a bill passed by the Kansas…
Senate Tax Committee approves capping annual valuation increases to 3%
The Kansas Senate Tax Committee cleared the first hurdle for major property tax reform in the state by approving a…
Senate Tax Committee mulls constitutional amendment to limit real estate valuation increases
For the third year in a row, the Kansas State Senate is considering an amendment to the Kansas constitution that…
New book offers 8 Things to Know about Running for School Board to would-be candidates
One out of three Kansas students are below grade level in reading and math. Only 18% of high school graduates…
2024 education spending out-paces inflation, but instruction spending stays flat
According to data from the Kansas Department of Education, school districts statewide increased total spending by about 4% in the…
Kansas school districts operating cash fund balances jump to $1.3 billion
It is an article of faith among superintendents, teacher unions, and the Kansas Association of School Boards that education —…
Kansas lawmakers send governor another tax cut bill
After multiple vetoes, the Kansas Legislature believes “Groundhog Day” has ended, and Governor Laura Kelly says she will sign its…
SB 428 reinforces school board members’ ability to conduct needs assessments
Senate Bill 428 (SB 428), currently in front of the Kansas Senate Committee on Education, would force district administrations to…
Education establishment gearing up for new lawsuit over SPED funding
The State Supreme Court in 2019 determined that the Legislature met the Court’s definition of adequate funding of schools, including…
Democrats push property tax hike on cars, farms, businesses
With the legislative session just around the corner, Kansas House Democrats are pushing a big property tax increase on cars…
K-12 bureaucracy ignores flaws in special education funding formula, calls for more money
Despite testimony that some K-12 funding related to special education (SPED) services is not counted toward SPED funding, the Kansas…
Education bureaucracy pushing the status quo in hearings
Legislative hearings over this and last week are focusing on how to improve outcomes in Kansas education, perhaps unsurprisingly, the education…
Kansas City Star rejects opinions with which it disagrees
When Colleen Nelson was the editorial manager for the Kansas City Star, she made sure that alternate views (i.e., not…
Kansas School Board Resource Center to help districts close achievement gaps
In an effort to help school board members effectively address the state’s student achievement crisis, the Kansas Policy Institute, the…