By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Hays USD 489 Superintendent Ron Wilson gave a report to the school board Feb. 20 on what he called crazy legislation that is being championed by legislators who are attacking public education.
A House bill would change the school year to 195 school days with students attending eight to 10 hours each day.
"That'll sell well with kids," Wilson said sarcastically. "That's crazy because that is probably unfunded. That would be quite a bit more than we are currently going."
A special education task force is considering state special education funding, but school officials questioned some legislators' motives.
This means districts across the state have to pay for the difference out of their general funds. Statewide districts are being underfunded by $160 million, according to the Kansas Association of School Boards.
Gov. Kelly announced a plan in January that would fully fund special education by 2028.
However, Wilson said Monday he thought the task force was more geared at finding reasons why the state should not be required to fully fund the special education formula.
Carlin said he did not think the task force is a problem, but he fears it is being used as a delay tactic.
"This highlights how our Legislature or certain individuals or leadership are focusing on certain things that are not impacting Kansas," Wilson said. "We only had two kids in thousands and thousands of kids — hundreds of thousands of kids — who have participated in extra-curricular activities that would be affected.
"Yet we are spending a lot of time in the Legislature focusing on this."
A House bill would create virtual state assessments. Wilson expressed concern about how schools could assure the correct student is taking an online assessment.
Several bills have been proposed that would support funding of private schools.
One would create education savings accounts, which would allow families to save for private school costs. A House bill would allow donors to write off up to $500,000 in private school scholarship donations through tax credits. A Senate bill would offer income tax credits for families who have students attending private schools.
"There's leadership in our Legislature that is trying to divert about $150 million in public funds from public schools that will go to private schools," Wilson said.
"This bill should have never come out of committee. If you look at it, there were 296 pieces of testimony shared with the committee. Only 26 of that 296 supported this bill."
Wilson added, "They're not listening. They have their own agenda, and they're carrying it forward."
A House bill would require school board members to be paid. Wilson said he assumed this would be an unfunded measure. Pay for school board members would likely come out of schools' general funds.
Yet another House bill would require middle and high schools to offer life skills instruction.
"If you know anything about what we do, we do that daily," Wilson said. "We offer classes. Once again, we have people who are putting a lot of attention on stuff that doesn't impact anything positive."
A bill would have allowed parents who work in a district to enroll their students in that district.
Parents would have the opportunity to opt their children out of any material they found objectionable without academic consequences for the students.
A bill would create up to eight scholarships for Kansas students who want to become teachers.
"That's cool. I wish it were not just eight. I wish were 80. We need them," Wilson said.
Wilson forwarded a letter to board members from the United School Administrators.
"There is leadership now in the Legislature that is ridiculing and attacking public education and what we do," Wilson said. "They are throwing out false information all of the time.
"They are more concerned about what other states are doing, and they are trying to replicate that here in Kansas. It's not really about Kansas kids' needs. It's about what's going on in Florida or going on in Texas."
Wilsons said he thinks it's important to highlight the activity in the Legislature.
"We need to let legislators know we will support them if they go against the grain," he said. "We have stories of legislators being threatened that if you don't hold your position, then we'll get someone to run against you."
"The great thing I have always said about Kansas is that they value their education, and right now, I'm a little concerned about what's going on."