Tag: Kansas Policy Institute
Candidates Struggle to Explain Why Kansas Is Stagnant in Surging Economy
In the booming 2017 national economy, only two states underperformed Kansas–Louisiana and Connecticut. In fact, Kansas was one of only…
Here Is The One School in Kansas With An “A” Grade From KPI
No one can accuse the Kansas Policy Institute (KPI) of grade inflation. In its comprehensive assessment of all the 1300-plus…
KPI Honors 4 Topeka Schools For Improved Performance
The Kansas Policy Institute (KPI) does not award participation trophies. So parents at those four Topeka public schools that had…
Grades Are In For Shawnee Mission Schools, Parents Brace Yourselves
In a comprehensive review, the Kansas Policy Institute (KPI) has issued easily understood A-F grades for every school in the…
Economist: “Kansas Has Fallen Back To Where It Was Before Tax Reform”
According to Jonathan Williams, chief economist with the American Legislative Exchange Council, “Kansas has fallen back to where it was…
Only One-Third of Public School Eighth Graders Proficient in Math
Two-thirds, or 67 percent, of American public school eighth graders aren’t proficient in math, according to the 2017 National Assessment…
Nearly 300 Kansans In Higher Ed Make 200K, More Than 100 At KU
According to figures released by the Kansas Policy Institute for the 2017-18 academic year, the State of Kansas pays 292…
Even with $2.1 Billion School Cash Infusion, Some Kansas Districts Would Lose Big
A cost study recommends adding $2.1 billion in new funding to public schools, but despite the overall influx of new…
Lawmakers Forward $500M Education Plan Likely To Require Tax Increases
A committee of lawmakers forwarded a proposal that would increase school funding by about $500 million over the next 5…
4X Property Tax Rates? 10% Sales Tax? KPI Does Math on School Study’s Proposed Spending Hikes
Nearly quadrupling property tax rates or the highest sales tax rates in the country are two possible ways lawmakers could…
Study Recommendation: Enormous Piles of Fresh Cash for Public Schools
Lawmakers got a preview of an education finance study commissioned to assist them in drafting a new school funding mechanism.…
Sticker Shock: JoCo Payroll Spikes Beyond Rate of Inflation
Johnson County government’s top paid employee makes nearly three times the median household income in the county and two-and-a-half times the…
Why Did Tax Cuts Work In NC, IN, and TN But Not in Kansas?
The question that Kansas Policy Institute President Dave Trabert raises in his new book, “What Was Really the Matter with…
Lawmakers Debate Whether to Legitimize Unlawful Transportation Funding to Schools
Passing legislation that will codify the way the Kansas State Department of Education determined state funding for school transportation should…
Not 1 More Mill, Opponents of Property Tax Increase Tell House Committee
Opponents of legislation that would nearly double the property tax rate for public schools didn’t mince words during a hearing…
Senate Committee Hosts Medicaid Expansion Hearing
The annual effort to expand Medicaid in Kansas cleared one hurdle Wednesday morning. Members of the Senate Public Health and…
Gov. Colyer Outlines School Funding Objectives in Speech
In his second major speech in two weeks, Gov. Jeff Colyer addressed what he called “the elephant in the room.”…
Legislators Have Duty to Resist Judicial Encroachment, KS Supreme Court Says
According to a 2015 Kansas Supreme Court decision, lawmakers have an obligation to oppose judicial overreach. In the ruling, Justice…
Former Brownback Allies Torch His Proposal for Education Funding
Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposal to inject $600 million of new funding into schools isn’t sitting well with many, including Republican…
ACLU Bullies Kansas State Senator for Managing Her Own Facebook Page
The ACLU has historically talked a good game about free speech, but the organization has been notoriously selective in challenging…
Read Their Lips: No Tax Increase in Kansas
Leaders in both the Kansas House and Kansas Senate say increasing taxes to pay a Kansas Supreme Court-imposed ransom to…
Voters Want School Accountability, Kansas Policy Institute Poll Reveals
Kansas voters want schools to be held accountable for educational outcomes, a new poll reveals. In the poll, commissioned by…
State Funds But School Boards Decide How Money Is Spent
Despite an influx of state aid to public schools, some districts will spend less on instruction as a percentage of their total…
KS State Aid Per Pupil Soars to Record High
State aid to Kansas public schools topped $4 billion last school year, a record that’s likely to be smashed this…