2026 KsLeg session: School Funding
- Stand Up Blue Valley
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
How did BV-area KS legislators vote on 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 in 2026?
We’ve already shared information from BV Schools about the dire situation the district is facing due to the KS Legislature’s failure to fully fund Special Education (as statutorily required). The funding shortfall has caused the district to pull MILLIONS of dollars from general funds and cash reserves every year since 2011 to meet student needs. This robs EVERY student through class size increases, cuts to programs, and reduction in staff. Special Education excess costs are STILL not funded by the legislature.
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁: 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 = 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱
Yet, again this year, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙆𝙨𝙇𝙚𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙀𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙨. Result: Blue Valley Schools (and districts across the state) will be forced to continue pulling money from the general fund to cover the shortfall. When you hear legislators say they “voted to fully fund public schools,” that statement refers to the per-pupil funding that the KS Supreme Court REQUIRED KsLeg to provide - the result of a years-long lawsuit (Gannon). But when per-pupil funds (that should go to classroom teachers, programs like art and music, world language, athletics) must be diverted to cover excess cost to educate students needing Special Education services, it results in lower per-pupil amounts to EVERY student. In BV, that amounts to $16 MILLION in 2025-26.
Voting YES, for a state budget that does NOT fully fund public education:
Representatives Croft, VanHouden, Tarwater, Turner
Senators Warren, Rose
Voting NO on the budget bill, opposing continued underfunding of KS public schools:
Representatives Featherston, Poskin, Meyer, Osman, McDonald
Senator Holscher
On top of DENYING needed funding, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀. Private schools: NOT required to take any student; NOT required to publish student outcomes; allowed to reject or remove any student for ANY reason; often teach religious doctrine; may be for-profit; NOT subject to any oversight from their community (no School Board), Kansas taxpayers, or the state. Link at bottom to our Blog posts on this subject.
𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀
The legislature voted to participate in a federal tax diversion scheme like the one Kansas already has - where a taxpayer gets a tax CREDIT for “donating” money (that they would have otherwise paid as taxes) to a “Scholarship Granting Organization” (aka money-laundering organization) that takes a cut off the top and then hands it over to a private school - maybe a for-profit and/or religious private school. The bill was vetoed by Gov. Kelly but the Republican supermajority was able to override.
Voting YES to hand over EVEN MORE tax money to private schools with ZERO accountability for student outcomes:
Representatives Croft, VanHouden, Tarwater, Turner
Senators Warren, Rose
Voting NO, tax money should pay for public schools:
Representatives Featherston, Poskin, Meyer, Osman, McDonald
Senator Holscher
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀
Kansas already allows taxpayers to divert tax money to private schools to the tune of $10 million yearly, and there was an attempt to increase that cap to $15 million. The bill passed but was vetoed by Gov. Kelly. KsLeg didn’t have the votes to override her veto.
Voting YES, to increase the cap on tax money diversion to private schools:
Representatives Croft, VanHouden, Tarwater, Turner
Senators Warren, Rose
Voting NO, because tax money should go to public institutions that are transparent in how those dollars are being spent:
Representatives Featherston, Poskin, Meyer, Osman, McDonald
Senator Holscher
Most Blue Valley voters know the value of our outstanding public schools, and support funding them. Many are shocked to learn that some KS legislators from our own Blue Valley area consistently vote against funding our schools adequately, and vote to divert taxpayer money instead to fund private schools.
Share this post to help your neighbors know how their elected representatives are voting.
Links to read more about budget:
Federal tax diversion bill:
State tax diversion bills:
SUBV Blog post about tax credit scholarship/private school handouts:
