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Gov. Kathleen Sebelius recently said she hopes to protect public education from any funding cuts in the next budget she's preparing to present to the legislature.
It was a statement that many local school districts were pleased to hear.
"I think that would be great if that happens," Destry Brown, Frontenac USD 249 superintendent, said. "I'm happy that she thinks it's important to keep education funding where it is."
Kansas governmental officials are working to balance the state's budget at a time when revenue shortfalls have caused a projected $1 billion shortfall between anticipated revenue and existing spending commitments for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
In response to the financial situation, many state agencies have already been asked to cut their budgets — some by 2 to 3 percent. Public education, however, has escaped relatively unscathed, although Sebelius said school districts probably will not see any increase in funding. According to the Associated Press, Sebelius said she understands that the lack of an increase may be viewed by some as a cut, as the costs of education continue to rise.
But at time when the national economy and state economies seem to take hit after hit, school administrators are breathing a little easier after hearing Sebelius pledge not to cut aid for the rest of the current fiscal year.
"I think it's great for schools that she said that," Robin Dexter, interim superintendent for USD 250, said. "It's really hard, once you have budgets planned, to make cuts right in the middle (of the year.)"
Brown said school districts have commitments planned through June 30, and a funding cut would jeopardize being able to meet those commitments.
"It would be pretty tough to get out of those commitments if we had a cut," he said.
Tim Burns, Southeast USD 247 superintendent, said taking a cut at this point of the year would be hard on school districts because "when you get down to spring time, there is not a lot of discretionary money to pull from."
But while not cutting education aid is a goal with which few people would disagree, some state legislators aren't convinced that now is a good time to make that type of promise. Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park, and incoming House Appropriations Committee chairman, told the Associated Press that he's not sure how the state can balance its budget without cutting from all areas, including education.
"The problem we are going to face — and we're anxious to see what the governor's proposing — is how you hold schools harmless and not devastate every other area of the budget," Yoder said.
State Senator Jay Emler, R-Lindsborg, also said the projected shortfalls in 2010 are too large not to cut from schools.
"I don't know at this point whether that can be done," Emler told the AP.
Dale Dennis, the state's deputy commissioner of education, said on Friday that while schools may not see a cut in funding in this current fiscal year, the following year could be a different story.
"I think it would be extremely difficult (not to cut from education)," Dennis said. "Now, how much of a cut remains to be seen. (Sebelius) will try to do her best because education drives a lot of the economic train in the state. But it will be difficult in Fiscal Year 2010 without have any effects."
School administrators said they are prepared for, and somewhat expect, funding cuts next year. Dexter said any cuts would have a the most impact on salaries.
"We would probably be looking at freezing the salary schedule," she said. "After that, we just all have to take a look at where we can cut. We'll get with the principals and just talk about where we can cut back. We'd pull some community and teacher groups together and talk about cutting back spending."
Burns said he won't be surprised if state aid is reduced, although he hopes any cuts are "reasonable enough" and don't affect the quality of education schools are able to provide.
"What we want to know, when we set our budgets, is what we're working with," he said. "That is what we want legislators to know. Because with us, once our budget is set, it's set. When we set our budget in August, that's what we function off of and it's very difficult to try to cut from that."
Brown said it's difficult to say whether or not school districts should take a cut as a matter of fairness to the state and to the agencies that have already had their state funding reduced.
"The pain of what is happening economically is affecting everyone," he said. "I hate to pit education against everyone else in the state. We should be expected to do some, too. But at the same time, we've worked awfully hard to get where we are right now."
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius recently said she hopes to protect public education from any funding cuts in the next budget she's preparing to present to the legislature.
It was a statement that many local school districts were pleased to hear.
"I think that would be great if that happens," Destry Brown, Frontenac USD 249 superintendent, said. "I'm happy that she thinks it's important to keep education funding where it is."
Kansas governmental officials are working to balance the state's budget at a time when revenue shortfalls have caused a projected $1 billion shortfall between anticipated revenue and existing spending commitments for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
In response to the financial situation, many state agencies have already been asked to cut their budgets — some by 2 to 3 percent. Public education, however, has escaped relatively unscathed, although Sebelius said school districts probably will not see any increase in funding. According to the Associated Press, Sebelius said she understands that the lack of an increase may be viewed by some as a cut, as the costs of education continue to rise.
But at time when the national economy and state economies seem to take hit after hit, school administrators are breathing a little easier after hearing Sebelius pledge not to cut aid for the rest of the current fiscal year.
"I think it's great for schools that she said that," Robin Dexter, interim superintendent for USD 250, said. "It's really hard, once you have budgets planned, to make cuts right in the middle (of the year.)"
Brown said school districts have commitments planned through June 30, and a funding cut would jeopardize being able to meet those commitments.
"It would be pretty tough to get out of those commitments if we had a cut," he said.
Tim Burns, Southeast USD 247 superintendent, said taking a cut at this point of the year would be hard on school districts because "when you get down to spring time, there is not a lot of discretionary money to pull from."
But while not cutting education aid is a goal with which few people would disagree, some state legislators aren't convinced that now is a good time to make that type of promise. Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park, and incoming House Appropriations Committee chairman, told the Associated Press that he's not sure how the state can balance its budget without cutting from all areas, including education.
"The problem we are going to face — and we're anxious to see what the governor's proposing — is how you hold schools harmless and not devastate every other area of the budget," Yoder said.
State Senator Jay Emler, R-Lindsborg, also said the projected shortfalls in 2010 are too large not to cut from schools.
"I don't know at this point whether that can be done," Emler told the AP.
Dale Dennis, the state's deputy commissioner of education, said on Friday that while schools may not see a cut in funding in this current fiscal year, the following year could be a different story.
"I think it would be extremely difficult (not to cut from education)," Dennis said. "Now, how much of a cut remains to be seen. (Sebelius) will try to do her best because education drives a lot of the economic train in the state. But it will be difficult in Fiscal Year 2010 without have any effects."
School administrators said they are prepared for, and somewhat expect, funding cuts next year. Dexter said any cuts would have a the most impact on salaries.
"We would probably be looking at freezing the salary schedule," she said. "After that, we just all have to take a look at where we can cut. We'll get with the principals and just talk about where we can cut back. We'd pull some community and teacher groups together and talk about cutting back spending."
Burns said he won't be surprised if state aid is reduced, although he hopes any cuts are "reasonable enough" and don't affect the quality of education schools are able to provide.
"What we want to know, when we set our budgets, is what we're working with," he said. "That is what we want legislators to know. Because with us, once our budget is set, it's set. When we set our budget in August, that's what we function off of and it's very difficult to try to cut from that."
Brown said it's difficult to say whether or not school districts should take a cut as a matter of fairness to the state and to the agencies that have already had their state funding reduced.
"The pain of what is happening economically is affecting everyone," he said. "I hate to pit education against everyone else in the state. We should be expected to do some, too. But at the same time, we've worked awfully hard to get where we are right now."
