Will the 2026 KsLeg fully fund public schools?
- Stand Up Blue Valley
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
Blue Valley Schools’ operating budget, which provides funding for class sizes, teacher pay, availability of specials classes, and many other factors that impact BV students, is determined by the Kansas Legislature. The 2026 KsLeg session starts tomorrow, Mon., Jan. 12.
KsLeg is required by law to fund 92% of excess Special Education costs - that is, the excess money it takes to educate students with IEPs (gifted and disability). But did you know that KsLeg has actually FAILED repeatedly to abide by this law?
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗕𝗩 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 $𝟭𝟴 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗗 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘆 - 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁. Last year, JoCo superintendents begged KsLeg to include full funding - but they did not.
Thanks to responsible fiscal management by Gov. Laura Kelly, who refused to capitulate to reckless Brownback-style tax cuts, the state budget has enough money to fully fund SPED costs. Will Gov. Kelly and legislators include this in their budget this year? Or will they place more priority on tax cuts and private-school voucher expansion?
As we’ve done since 2017, we’ll be watching KsLeg and reporting back to our members on key votes affecting our neighborhood public schools. Please join us in watching your elected representatives - and hold them accountable for their VOTES. Be sure they know you value our Blue Valley Schools and want them funded adequately.
Remember, your legislators can tell you anything. They can make claims about “supporting Blue Valley Schools.” However, their actual votes on legislation are what matters.
Each of us has one KS Senator and one KS House Rep. Find them here:
(We usually recommend KsLegLookup.org from Mainstream, but it’s down right now.)
Take 5 minutes to email them both. Let them know that underfunding Special Education costs ALL Blue Valley students, and you support SPED being fully funded. Include your full name and address.
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