TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Sam Brownback and legislative leaders have agreed to give five school districts roughly half a million dollars in additional funding.
The State Finance Council, which is comprised of the Republican governor and leaders from each chamber, voted Monday to give more money to districts hit hard by recent policy changes and unforeseen expenses.
Eight districts requested about $1.1 million from the $4 million extraordinary needs fund. The panel voted to partially fund five of those requests.
Superintendents testified that they had been squeezed due to enrollment changes, rising costs and Brownback’s “block grant” school funding law, which cut $51 million in funding districts expected for the current fiscal year.
Requests from the following school districts were approved:
USD 438 Skyline, $118,000
USD 416 Louisburg, $128,680
USD 333 Concordia, $119,099
USD 272 Waconda $57,237
USD 243 Lebo-Waverly, $55,000
The following requests were not approved.
USD 251 North Lyon County
USD 470 Arkansas City
USD 252 Southern Lyon County
The governor’s office denied in a statement that the block grant reform was to blame for shortfalls.