Kansas Center for Economic Growth Report on Higher Education Tuition

 Affordable higher education set to become

the next casualty of failed tax policy

New report elevates troubling trends in higher education funding, tuition hikes

TOPEKA - As Kansas college students settle into the new semester, many struggle to make ends meet after receiving unprecedentedly high bills for their fall classes. The balance of higher education funding has sharply shifted from the state to the student in recent years. A new report from the Kansas Center for Economic Growth (KCEG), "The Cost of Admission: Higher Education in Kansas," analyzes the impact declining state investment and soaring tuition has on both students and the Kansas economy.

 

"Our state colleges and universities are the engines of economic growth," said Heidi Holliday, KCEG executive director. "Kansas can't prosper without an educated workforce, but families cannot keep pace with the skyrocketing cost of higher education. In the wake of failed tax policy and devastating budget cuts, students across the state are paying more for college than ever before."

 

Among the report's main findings:

• State funding for regents universities has fallen 17 percent since 2008. That year - for the first time in state history - universities received $26 million more from tuition than funding from the state. By 2015, the gap expanded tenfold, to $263 million.
• Kansas' community college system - the higher education gateway for many young people - is enduring the same troubling funding trends as regents universities. Adjusted for inflation, the state contributed $8 million more than students in 2004. Today, students pay $6.5 million more than the state.
• The state's decreasing investment in higher education coincides with declining household incomes in Kansas. In 2015, the median income in Kansas was over $2,100 lower than its peak level in 2003.
• Kansas students now leave school with an average of $25,500 in debt - up from $16,200 in 2004.

The report breaks down tuition increases at the state's six regents universities since Fiscal Year 2001:

• University of Kansas: 152 percent tuition increase
• Kansas State University: 243 percent tuition increase
• Wichita State University: 136 percent tuition increase
• Emporia State University: 130 percent tuition increase
• Pittsburg State University: 159 percent tuition increase
• Fort Hays State University: 196 percent tuition increase

The KCEG report comes just days after the Kansas Board of Regents submitted budget recommendations for FY2018 to include additional budget cuts totaling five percent. The recommended cuts came at the request of Gov. Sam Brownback. Universities specifically warned that further budget cuts would result in even more tuition and fee increases for students.

"There is an undeniable relationship between state funding cuts and soaring tuition rates," said Holliday. "There is also an undeniable relationship between state funding cuts and failed tax policy. Until policymakers stabilize our revenue stream with commonsense tax reform, more and more Kansans will find themselves priced out of a college education...and all the economic opportunities that come with it."

Read the report here.  

Flu Season Is Here!

Seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to May. Now is a good time for Kansas school districts to make sure they’re doing as much as they can to prevent or reduce the spread of the flu.

“Getting a yearly influenza vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and those around you from the flu,” says Kansas State Epidemiologist Charles Hunt, MPH. “School-aged children have a high rate of influenza, therefore it is important to take steps to protect yourself and your students from spreading the flu.”

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every year in the United States, on average:

• Five percent to 20 percent of the population gets the flu;
• more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications;
• a range of 3,000 to 49,000 people die from flu.

The 2016-17 flu vaccines will protect against A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus, A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus (B/Victoria lineage).

KASB and USD 331 encourages students, parents and staff to get their flu shots and stay home when sick. One of the best ways to stop the spread of flu and other illnesses in schools and elsewhere is to wash your hands making sure to use soap and water for 20 seconds, properly dry hands using the hand driers or properly dispose of paper towels. An alcohol-based sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol may be used. 

Be an Informed Voter: A Guide to the Judiciary by the Kansas School Superintendents Association

1.    Learn About the Court System

http://www.kscourts.org/Kansas-Courts/General-Information/default.asp

http://www.ourkansascourts.org/ 

http://ivp.nawj.org

2.    Learn About Kansas Supreme Court Justices and Court of Appeals Judges on the Ballot and Access Their Published Opinions 

http://www.kscourts.org/kansas-courts/general-information/justice-listing.asp

3.    Find Out How Kansas Judges and Attorneys Rate Kansas Supreme Court Justices and Court of Appeals Judges

http://kansasjudgereview.org

4.    Watch the Kansas Supreme Court Live or Through Archived Video

http://www.kscourts.org/Kansas-courts/supreme-court/arguments.asp

5.    Ask a Lawyer

6.    Check Out Justices and Judges Individual Websites and Facebook Pages

7.    Think About the Characteristics of A good Judge- What would you add?

· Legal/Judicial Experience

· Educational Background

· Character/Ethics

· Temperament

· Disciplinary Record

· Service to the Community Impartiality

· Respect of Colleagues

   You can find a list of the Justice and Judges on the November Ballot at:

http://www.sos.ks.gov/elections/elections_upcoming_candidate_display.asp

Keeping Your Child Safe: A report from the KBI Missing Persons Clearinghouse

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) analyzed the 11,500+ incidents of attempted abductions reported to them between 2005 and 2015 and compiled the trends of attempted abductions. 

Through this research we’ve learned that most attempted abductions:

ü  Occur when the child is either going to or from school or school-related activities (~32%)

ü  Occurs between 2:00-7:00 pm (34%).

ü  Involve a female child (66%)

ü  Involve children between the ages of 10 to 14 (38%)

ü  Involved a perpetrator using a vehicle (71%)

The children most likely to escape are those who:

ü  Ran or walked away prior to contact with the perpetrator (51%)

ü  Those who drew attention to the situation by kicking, screaming, or yelling (30%)

ü  Had a bystander intervene (18%).

The most common lures utilized by the perpetrator are:

ü  Offering a ride (29%)

ü  Asking the child questions (16%)

ü  Offering candy or sweets (12%)

ü  Offering money (8%)

ü  Used an animal in various ways (7%)

To view the report, go to http://www.missingkids.com/AttemptedAbductions .  Many educational resources can be found at http://www.missingkids.com/Safety . Parents can download the FBI child ID app. from iTunes^© or Google Play^© or their own Child ID kit utilizing this link http://www.missingkids.com/ChildID.

What would Kansas schools do with more money? An Education Report by Mark Tallman of the KS Association of School Boards

If the Kansas Supreme Court orders the state to raise school funding by several hundred million dollars, what would local school boards do with that money?

Keep in mind three things. First, about 66 percent of total school district spending goes to salaries and benefits for school employees and another 14 percent goes to contracts for services provided by employees of the contractor. In other words, most school funding goes to people. If districts receive more money, they will spend it on people. That’s what happened when schools received a court-ordered increase in 2006 through 2009 following the Montoy school finance decision.

Second, Montoy funding was reduced following the Great Recession of 2008. Since then, total school funding in Kansas has barely kept up with inflation and operating budgets - which exclude retirement contributions and costs of new buildings - have fallen behind inflation. In addition, there are more students to educate, and more students with special needs. So, for eight years, school districts have not had ANY “extra” money to improve programs.

Third, the Kansas State Board of Education’s “Kansans Can” vision has set new goals for K-12 education. Comments from school leaders across the state make clear local school boards will have the following priorities for additional funding.

Early Childhood. Because many students start school far behind their peers and some never catch up, giving more attention to the youngest students helps “level the playing field.” After the Montoy decision, the percentage of districts providing all-day kindergarten increased from about 50 percent to 95 percent.

However, the State Board has set a goal of getting more students ready for kindergarten. Districts now provide preschool programs to about 5,000 students statewide, compared to a kindergarten class of 37,000. More funding would allow districts to offer free preschool for thousands more low income students.

Individual plans of study for career preparation. Last year, districts employed 1,110 school counselors, less than one for every 400 students. To help students and families decide what classes and programs match their interests and leave high school better prepared for college or the workforce, the State Board has made individual career planning a Kansans Can priority.

More funding would allow high schools and middle schools to add more career and academic counselors and continue to help students with social and emotional issues (another Kansans Can outcome). Thirty-three states have a lower student to counselor ratio than Kansas and private schools have much lower ratios than public schools, according to national data.

Graduation rates. Although Kansas performs better than most states, low income, disabled, and English Language Learners continue to lag behind in high school graduation, which is a requirement for postsecondary education (and most jobs). To meet the Kansans Can goal of higher graduation rates and more Kansas students prepared for higher skill (and higher paying) jobs, districts must provide extra support for these students.

More funding would allow districts to address the intensive needs of students with physical and emotional disabilities, help students learn English faster, provide additional tutoring and enrichment before and after school and during the summer, and assist low income and first generation college students in preparing for more rigorous college programs and testing.

School districts did all of these things after the Montoy funding increase, but have had to cut back on these services as funding fell back.

Technical Education. Experts predict 71 percent of Kansas jobs in the year 2020 will require education beyond high school, and many will require a technical certificate rather than an academic degree. Offering these programs in high schools lets students get a lower cost head start on a well-paying career, but such courses tend to be expensive because of specialized equipment and lower pupil-teacher ratios.

More funding would allow school districts to expand student options for career paths, especially in more rural parts of the state; strengthening the state and regional work forces.

Teacher salaries and learning time. Since 2008, Kansas teacher salaries have slipped from 37th to 41st in the nation. With limited dollars for raises, many school boards and teachers have negotiated for fewer school days, but also added more minutes in each day. On average, students have lost a full week of days from the school calendar.

More funding would make Kansas teacher salaries more competitive with other states and, in exchange, allow districts to add back days for student learning - which would support all of the Kansans Can outcomes.

Costs to parents and property-taxpayers. Because state operating aid has been so limited, districts have been raising fees and adopting new charges to make up the difference, and have increased local option budgets, which are primarily funded by local property taxes.

The result is a higher burden on low-income students and low-wealth communities. More funding would allow districts to rely more on general revenues rather than on those who can least afford it.

Kansans “can” expect these results if more money is provided to public schools, whether by the Supreme Court or otherwise.

For more information: Changes in Education Funding;  Kansas school expenditures 1998-99 through 2014-15: Trends and Details (interactive details); School Staff in Kansas (interactive details); Calendar Survey Report (interactive details); Fee Survey Report; Report Card on State Funding and Achievement (including teacher salaries); counselors and preparing students for college.

KASB Urges School Advocates to Provide Input on School Finance to Governor

Education leaders on Thursday urged school advocates to let Gov. Sam Brownback know what should be included in the next school finance formula.

“School boards work diligently to maximize the programs for their students because they know that every student should have the opportunity to be college and career ready. And they know that local boards should have control over how they do it,” said Amy Martin, president of the Kansas Association of School Boards and a member of the Olathe USD 233 board.

KASB Associate Executive Director Mark Tallman said that although many details must be worked out, KASB’s policies call for a final school finance formula that:

— Supports the State Board of Education’s vision that Kansas will lead the world in the success of each student;

— Provides adequate funds and distribute those funds equitably;

— Gives local districts the responsibility to respond to unique community needs while encouraging efficiency;

— Allows flexibility so that districts can go beyond state requirements.

Brownback has sought input from Kansans on what the next school finance system should include; legislators will work on a new funding approach during the 2017 session, which starts in January. In addition, the Kansas Supreme Court next week will conduct a hearing on whether current school spending is adequate under the Kansas Constitution.

To send comments to Brownback, email them to StudentsFirst@ks.gov. KASB also requests that school officials also send those proposals toschoolfundinginput@kasb.org. KASB plans to share the information with other education organizations and use it to help inform discussions on the next school finance plan.

Martin and Tallman spoke at a news conference held at the Olathe Advanced Technical Center.

The Center has been a pioneer in providing students career and tech programs such as welding, culinary arts, aerospace engineering and environmental design.

Martin said Olathe has consistently supported education. “As president of KASB, I get to see stories like Olathe’s all across Kansas,” she said.

Martin added, “The governor has asked for input on how we should be funding schools. I’m proud that KASB has stepped up as a leader to urge education advocates to be a part of this process.”

Enrichment Foundation to Host “Eagle Extravaganza” at Hooray Ranch

(A reprint of an article submitted by the Enrichment Foundation Board of Directors)

The USD 331 Enrichment Foundation will host its first annual fundraiser, “Eagle Extravaganza”, at Hooray Ranch on Saturday, October 1^st.  The event will start at 5pm.  A ticket is required for entry, and can be purchased on the Foundation’s website:  www.ef331.com.  Tickets are $50 per person, and dress for the evening is business casual.  It is highly encouraged that tickets are purchased by September 15^th! The event is open to the adult public (all must be over 21), and dinner, drinks, and live entertainment (Red Marlow Band, Ashley McBryde Band, and the Lindsey Cardinale Band) is included.  There will also be a live and silent auction—and the auction items received thus far are incredible!

The Enrichment Foundation was created to raise money for the sole benefit of the USD 331 Kingman-Norwich public schools.  It is a 501c (3) non-profit foundation and all donations and contributions are tax deductible.

“Eagle Extravaganza” is to be held at Hooray Ranch, a world-class hunting lodge located approximately seven miles northwest of Kingman High School.  Information and pictures of Hooray Ranch can found on its website:  www.hoorayranch.com.

Information for the event, ticket purchases, sponsorship levels (including reserved table purchases), and information regarding donations, can all be found or made on the Foundation’s website:  ef331.com.  Sponsorships and donated items are still welcome. 

The Foundation has a Facebook page:  USD 331 Enrichment Foundation.  Please share this page with all your friends and help us spread the word!  We are planning this event for rain or shine, but please look at our Facebook page for details if inclement weather is expected. 

Questions regarding the event, donations, or sponsorships can be directed to any of the Foundation’s board members:  Sheila DeWeese, Nancy Hageman, and Mike Maloney (all of Kingman) and Eric Dunn, Nate Durr, Michelle Kyle, and Kenton Rosenhagen (all of Norwich).

Please help make a difference for our schools!  We look forward to seeing you on October 1^st!