Tag: transparency
Department of Commerce ‘transparency database’ out of compliance with state law
A new report from the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit shows the Kansas Department of Commerce’s “transparency database” is…
AUDIT: STAR Bonds program continues record of failure
Three years ago the Kansas Department of Legislative Post Audit evaluated the STAR Bonds program overseen by the Kansas Department…
Commerce Department dodging questions about programs — again
The Kansas Department of Commerce is refusing to answer questions about the number of grants it has awarded over the…
USD 286 Chautauqua school board fined over KOMA violations
The Chautauqua County Board of Education has been found liable for multiple violations of the Kansas Open Meetings Act. According…
School board members share ideas on improving student outcomes at 2nd annual KSBRC conference
With the goal of reversing the downward trend in K-12 proficiency levels, school board members and superintendents from across Kansas…
500% tax increase, lack of transparency frustrates Douglas County taxpayer
Citing property taxes in Douglas County are up more than 500% in the last 25 years, nearly five times as…
JoCo Commissioners release Peg Trent opinion on library funding after Sentinel publication
In a victory for transparency, within hours of publishing a story about Johnson County Chief Counsel Peg Trent refusing to…
Olathe school district dodging questions about legal fees
The Olathe Unified School District administration and board of education are either refusing to answer questions about legal fees defending…
Johnson County Commission Chairman allows anti-Christian rant that violates county policy
Johnson County Commission Chair Mike Kelly has taken steps to stifle citizens who are concerned with or critical of county…
SB 427 would give school board members tools to improve transparency and accountability
School board members would no longer be restricted to whom they could speak on district issues, nor be barred from…
Beloit group claims school board lacks transparency in bond issue campaign
Voters in USD 273 Beloit go to the polls in April to decide the fate of a $20 million package…
House panel debates bill limiting KORA charges to provide public documents
Taxpayers won’t be overcharged to receive public documents in Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) requests any longer if House Bill…
LVCO superintendents lobby legislators and try to exclude board members
A decision to leave local school board members off an invitation list for Leavenworth County superintendents to lobby state legislators…
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…
Connell says shady attempt to alter ethics policy was behind his loss of temper
Disagreement over an attempt to remove conflict of interest language from district ethics policy prompted an Olathe Board of Education…
Evidence-Based Grading: another attempt to obscure poor performance?
The Shawnee Mission School District will unveil the concept of “Evidence-Based Grading” (EBG) in the upcoming school year,fueling the conversation…
USD 453 Leavenworth won’t remove false claims about academic progress
Glowing, but incorrect posts about academic progress at USD 453 Leavenworth have appeared on the school’s Facebook page, but apparently…
Council Grove school leaders silent on district controversies
USD 417 in Council Grove has been rocked in recent weeks with the resignations of its curriculum director, school board…
Attorney files KORA complaint against Republic County over wind issues
An attorney for concerned landowners in Republic County, opposed to wind farm development by NextEra energy, has filed a Kansas…
School Board Member Free Speech and Transparency Act has hearing
HB 2382, the School District Board of Education Member Free Speech and Transparency Act, was introduced at a hearing before…
Parent cites Leavenworth High School for lack of transparency, accountability
What began last year as concern over content in an English Language Arts class has repeated itself this school year…
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…
Kansas Supreme Court: KORA requires production of electronic records
A recent Kansas Supreme Court decision has put public records custodians on notice — under the Kansas Open Records Act…
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…