Which BV-area legislators voted to CUT the Chinese Immersion program?
When they voted for a state budget that ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐๐น๐น๐ ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฑ Special Education costs - ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ช๐ต - these BV-area legislators voted to put the district so far into the red that they KNEW ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐จ were coming to our kidsโ schools.
๐ฉ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น๐:
KS Representatives Chris Croft, Chip VanHouden, Sean Tarwater, Carl Turner
KS Senators Kellie Warren and TJ Rose
(KS Reps Linda Featherston, Mari-Lynn Poskin, Heather Meyer, Dan Osman, Nikki McDonald and KS Senator Cindy Holscher voted NO on that budget bill.)
And these current legislators, who are running for Governor, Lt Gov, Secretary of State, and Insurance Commissioner ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ voted for a state budget that underfunded Kansas public schools:
Sen. Ty Masterson/Sen. Jeff Klemp - now running for Gov/LtGov
Rep. Pat Proctor - now running for Secretary of State
Rep. Dan Hawkins - now running for Insurance Commissioner
ALL of these legislators who voted YES to UNDERfunding our public schools are part of the MAGA Republican supermajority who answer to Senate President Ty Masterson and his Koch/AFP backers.
BV School Board members and district staff met with legislators to explain the consequences of continued underfunding. BV voters wrote emails voicing their support for adequately funding our kidsโ schools, including FULLY FUNDING excess special education costs. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ง๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข.
In short, for OVER A DECADE, the district has pulled funds from reserves to make up federally-mandated SPED costs until thereโs no more reserves. Legislators were fully aware. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ธ๐ถ๐ฑ๐.
We want to ask understandably confused and upset parents: Do you know who your KS Senator and KS House Representative are? Did you vote in not only the 2024 election but in 2022 - when EVERY SINGLE HOUSE REP was up for election, just like this year? Many do, and did. But also...
When you hear or read that Blue Valley Schools spends over $19,000 per student yearly (which is an inflated number including costs that arenโt included when comparing numbers to private school tuition), realize this: Thatโs an AVERAGE. Many of our kids who receive SPED services cost much more than that to educate. And private schools WILL NOT take these students.ย
The state does not count off $19,000 per child and hand it over one wallet at a time; it doesnโt work that way. There are students whose education costs less than that, and some whose education costs way more. The state is legally obligated (by a law THEY passed) to cover 92% of excess SPED costs - and theyโve been shorting Blue Valley and every other district by millions and millions of dollars every single year.
Stand Up Blue Valley has been sounding the alarm since we first organized in 2015. ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป, ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ-๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐๐ฆ ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น๐! Now we have more than half who vote FOR our schools (as evidenced by their voting records, not just claims they make). But the statewide MAGA Republican supermajority is partly Blue Valleyโs fault - see the list above. If ONE of those BV-area legislators hadnโt been elected, we might not be here.
Please donโt blame the School Board for these drastic cuts. They canโt make the legislature care about our kids. But the BV School Board IS considering a lawsuit to force KsLeg to pay what they are legally required to. Itโll be too late for the kids in the Chinese Immersion program, but it may help other important programs down the line.ย
EVERY Blue Valley voter who moved here for the schools, or who knows the importance of outstanding schools to our thriving community, or who cares about our communityโs families - your vote is CRITICAL in the Nov. 3 election. Voting starts this Saturday, Oct., 17, at locations including BV Hilltop and the OP Arboretum.
Review our Voting Guide (link below) and make a plan to vote!
Link to the KCTV5 story:
Our Voting Guide:
See all votes on the budget bill (page 2 of document - Conference Committee report votes):
Our post about the votes:
Our post: Is your kidโs program getting cut?
Our post: The money is already there:
Our post: BV Schools podcast explains:
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