Tag: Education
State overpaid Medicaid reimbursements to school districts by $11 million since 2016
Explaining it away as a “perfect storm” of “staff turnovers,” Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek on…
Parent opt-out letters from controversial topics released by liberty group
In the wake of a United States Supreme Court decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, requiring school districts to allow parents…
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,…
Kansas is near the bottom of Advanced Placement rankings
The Sunflower State is tied for 48th in the nation for the percentage of students scoring a “3” or higher…
Kansas receives “F” grade on Parent Power Index
In the three years since the Sentinel last reported on the Center for Educational Reform’s Parent Power Index, Kansas has…
Kobach tells state board to remove ‘gender identity’ language from school lunch contracts
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach in a letter released June 25, 2025, is warning the Kansas State Board of Education…
Kobach urges U.S. Department of Ed to investigate four Kansas districts for civil rights violations
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is urging the United States Department of Education to open an investigation against four school…
KSDE now says districts don’t have to use Biden-era ‘gender identity’ guidance on food service forms
Documents received by The Sentinel as part of a Kansas Open Records Act request show that the Kansas State Department…
KSDE declines to answer questions about gender identity in school lunch contract
The Kansas State Department of Education is declining to answer questions about why the language in the state’s “Child Nutrition…
NCTQ: Major Kansas universities earn failing grade for teacher math instruction
Nearly half of the undergraduate teacher education programs in Kansas have earned an F grade in preparing future educators to…
KSHSAA says ‘sex at birth’ may not be known at birth
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is declining to answer questions about a form asking for the “sex at…
Education lobby gearing up for funding fight, potential lawsuit, as formula review begins
The Kansas Education Funding Task Force has begun meeting to discuss potential changes to the school funding formula before it…
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…
KSDE, lacking credibility, responds to LPA audit by attacking the process
A recent Legislative Post Audit (LPA) audit of the Kansas State Department of Education’s funding of the adult virtual school…
KC pediatrician says ADHD is “over-diagnosed, overtreated”
As many as 7% or more of school-aged children — mostly boys — have a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity…
New study again confirms that school choice improves outcomes
A new study shows the Ohio school choice program is producing better outcomes for students, the Wall Street Journal reports.…
Audit finds easy change to Medicaid billing for schools could save state $22.5 million
A recent audit of how schools are reimbursed for school-based health care, found a potential $22.5 million savings. According to…
KSDE won’t say if it will certify elimination of DEI to avoid loss of funding
On April 3, 2025, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and the United States Department of Education sent a letter to…
Gardner-Edgerton mom wins preliminary injunction in Libs of TikTok case
Carrie Schmidt — the Gardner-Egerton mom who sued the school district in federal court after being banned from school events…
Wichita bond issue appears to have failed, one proponent made deceptive achievement claims
Wichita’s first school bond issue in 16 years appears to have failed by a narrow margin. The unofficial count of in-person…
C5 Initiative aims to bring classical education to urban core
A new initiative in Wichita aims to bring a classical education to the urban city core — and hopefully in…
USD 231 Gardner-Edgerton declines to comment on federal lawsuit filed by Carrie Schmidt
Officials with the Gardner-Edgerton school district have declined to answer questions about a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of Carrie…
Legislature proposes less funding for literacy training
Leaders of the Kansas House Committee on Higher Education Budget are declining to answer questions about stripping $8 million in…
As Tennessee passes school choice, Kansas continues to debate
As another state prioritizes students over systems, Kansas continues to simply debate giving parents the option to send their children…