Get an A+ in Voting!

Dear School Staff, Parents & Patrons:

November 6th is the General Election in our state and your vote can make a difference for Kansas schools.

Whether you plan to vote in person or by advance ballot, there are a few dates you will need to keep in mind:

1. October 16th is the voter registration deadline. To confirm your registration is current, visit www.ksvotes.org.
2. October 17th – November 5th is the timeframe in which you can cast your vote early via an advance ballot by requesting an advance ballot by mail or at your county clerk’s office in the county you reside. The form to request an advanced ballot is at the website above. USD 331 is in 5 counties; Kingman, Reno, Harper, Sumner and Sedgwick.
3. October 30th is the last day to request an advance ballot; you can submit your request online at ksvotes.org.
4. November 6th is Election Day! Vote in person at your designated polling place.

Make your plan now to ensure your voice is heard this November, and encourage your friends, family members and coworkers to do the same.

Sincerely,

Robert G. Diepenbrock, Superintendent of Schools

KASB Tallman Report: Updated school finance information

Monday, September 24, 2018

Updated school finance information: funding increase, inflation adjustments, share of personal income and general state budget

Kansas school district expenditures hit a new high last year – but not after adjusting for inflation

The most recent update from the Kansas State Department of Education shows that total school district expenditures last year (20187-18) were $6.49 billion, or about $410 million more than 2017. About $325 million of the increase was state aid, and $130 million of THAT was to restore contributions for the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System that has been reduced the previous year.

Local funding increased by $94 million, party because an error in drafting the 2017 school finance bill reduced state aid for local option budgets, requiring more local funding, and party because of increased local funding for capital outlay and school bond payments.

Although $6.49 billion in total expenditures was the highest ever for Kansas school districts, when adjusted for inflation, it remains below the 2009 level. Total expenditures in 2018 were $124.3 million below inflation-adjusted 2009. That means total spending is less than it was a decade ago. (KASB adjusted for inflation using the Kansas consensus revenue estimate for inflation for 2018.)

Total expenditures include all dollars flowing through school district budgets.

KASB also tracks the total of school district general fund and local option budgets, plus special education state aid, which provide a basic state and local “operating” budget for educational programs. The final legal maximum budget reports posted by KSDE show these funds totaled $4.34 billion in 2018, up from $4.15 billion in 2017. That nearly $200 million increase was mainly due to higher base state and weightings as the Legislature responded to the Supreme Court’s decision on school finance.

When adjusted for inflation, general fund, LOB and special education in 2018 were $460 million below 2009. In fact, these funds in 2018 were lower than the 2007 level. The Legislature acknowledged this gap in its response to the Kansas Supreme Court in the Gannon school finance case. The Court ruled that the Legislature’s $500 million-plus, five-year school finance plan passed this session would be acceptable, but only if adjusted for inflation over the time it is phased-in.

School district general fund levels and special education is determined by the state through base aid, weighting factors and appropriations. The state also caps the amount of local option budgets.

Total expenditures include bond and interest payments approved by local voters, capital outlay funds raised by local mill levies (plus state aid for both programs); KPERS contributions which were underfunded in previous decades and now are increasing more rapidly as the Legislature tries to catch up; all federal funds; most food service costs; and other any local revenues like student fees for meals, materials and transportation. Most of these funds cannot be use for regular operating costs like teacher salaries.

A 10-year history of total expenditures statewide and for individual districts is available at KSDE’s Data Central School Finance Reports link. Select Total Expenditures from the drop-down menu.

  

Per pupil funding remains below 2006 and 2007 levels after adjusting for inflation

The latest information provided by the Kansas State Department of Education show that both total school district expenditures and the combined general fund, local option budget and special education state aid reached new high levels last year, following significantly increased state funding. However, when adjusted for inflation, both remain below previous high marks.

Because student enrollment has also increased in recent years, per pupil funding has increased less and remains farther behind inflation than overall spending. On a headcount basis (counting each enrolled student as one student), total expenditures per pupil was $13,106 in 2018. That remains below the level of $13,356 in 2007. General fund, local option budget and special education aid per headcount student was $8,771, lower than the 2006 level of $8,989.

In other words, even after substantial increases in funding last year, per pupil purchasing power is still less than it was 11 to 12 years ago.

In fact, total expenditures per pupil in 2018 was $962 below inflation-adjusted 2009, or a total of $476.5 million. General fund, LOB and special education aid operating funds were $1,444 per pupil below inflation-adjusted 2009, or a total of $715.3 million. That is a major reason the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the Legislature’s $500 million-plus school finance proposal would be acceptable, but only if adjusted for inflation over the time it is phased-in.

In addition, the number of students with greater learning challenges due to poverty and disability has grown faster than the regular enrollment, and educational expectations on schools has also increased.

Note: KASB uses “headcount” enrollment to calculate a per pupil amount because until 2018, the full-time equivalent number reported by KSDE counted all kindergarten students as half-time students, even if they were attending full-time. The FTE number continues to count only preschool students funded by the state, not those funded by local districts. Because of the growth in such students, KASB believes the headcount number provides a more consistent comparison over the years and a more accurate count of the number of students the district is educating. Federal reports also use headcount.

School funding remains low compared to previous share of Kansans’ total personal income 

Kansas personal income is the total income the people living in the state receive from wages, proprietors' income, dividends, interest, rents, and government benefits. Comparing educational expenditures to that amount is an indicator of how much of people’s income is going to support public schools.

With increased state aid and more local revenue authority, in 2018 total school district expenditures increased to 4.51 percent of state personal income from 4.39 percent the previous two years. It was the highest level since 2011 (4.58 percent), but still well below the 20-year average from 1990 to 2010 (4.74 percent).

School district general funds, local option budgets and special education state aid were 3.02 percent of state personal income, up from 2.99 percent in 2017, but far below the 1990-2010 average of 3.65 percent.

This means that Kansans are currently spending or investing a lower percentage of total annual income to support public education than in previous decades, even after significant increases in funding last year.

Note: The 2018 levels are based on estimates of Kansas personal income growth projected by the state Consensus Revenue Estimating process. The April CRE projected Kansas personal income would increase 3.9 percent from $138.6 billion in 20127.

The share of state general funding spending going to K-12 state aid has remained stable for 25 years

Despite increases in state aid approved for 2018 and 2019, K-12 funding is not taking a larger share of the Kansas state general fund budget.

From the passage of the School District Equalization Act to the 1992 School District Finance and Quality Performance Act, the state constantly allocated about 40 percent of the general fund budget to K-12 aid. The 1992 law, fully implemented in 1994, raised state aid to reduce and equalize local property taxes for schools. As a result, K-12 aid increased from approximately 40 percent of the state general fund to approximately 50 percent.

Since 1994, K-12 aid has averaged 49.7 percent of the state general fund. In 2018, it was estimated to be 50.5 percent; in 2019, state aid is predicted to be 49.7 percent of SGF.

In other words, despite several decades of school finance litigation including the recent Gannon case, and increased state aid as result of these cases, school district aid is not taking a larger share of the state general fund budget.

Too many principals in Kansas schools? Not for successful students. KASB Tallman Education Report

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Too many principals in Kansas schools? Not for successful students

A spokesperson for Kris Kobach’s campaign for Governor says that twelve principals and assistant principals for two Wichita schools is “clearly excessive.”

However, data shows that compared to state and national averages, those two schools actually have fewer principals than would be expected, based on enrollment.

According to reports requested from the Kansas State Department of Education’s Data Central (link), Wichita East and Wichita North High Schools have a combined enrollment of 4,508 (2,331 plus 2,177). That means 12 principals and assistant principals would be responsible for 376 students each. (4,508 divided by 12).

Statewide enrollment reports indicate a total of 518,712 headcount students in Kansas. State personnel reports show 1,187.5 principals and 606.2 assistant principals statewide, for a total of 1,793.7. That means on average, Kansas principals and assistant principals are responsible for 289 students. (518,712 divided by 1,793.7) In other words, if there are 12 principals with over 4,500 students in two high schools, those buildings have fewer building leaders for the number of students compared to the state as a whole (376 versus 289).

How does Kansas compare to national data? The most recent reports are from 2014-2015. At that time, Kansas had nearly 100 more principals and assistant principals (1,899) with lower total enrollment (496,444), or 261 students for every principal and assistant principal. Nationally, the ratio was slightly higher (287 student for every principal) than Kansas in 2015, but almost identical to what was last year. The national average was also far less that the average at Wichita East and North.

However, the top achieving states on 15 educational outcomes had an average student/principal ratio of 260, below that national average and Kansas. The ten lowest achieving states had an average ratio of 306, higher than the national average.

In other words, the top achieving states have more principals compared to their enrollment, and the lowest achieving states have fewer.

Why would more principals and assistant principals be associated with higher student performance?
Research shows school leadership makes a difference in student achievement. Scholars at McREL, a non-profit education and research center in Denver, analyzed 70 studies involving approximately 1.1 million students and 14,000 teachers, and found a substantial relationship between leadership and student achievement.

Principals have these key roles in school buildings: providing overall leadership for all staff in the building, guiding, evaluating and supporting teachers, and dealing with students in areas such as discipline, safety, policies and activities.

A first-person description of what assist principals do today in today’s public school system is provided here (link).

Here is most recent national data on the number of principals and other school staff. (Link) Here is national enrollment data. (Link)

It should be noted Kobach's initial claim during a debate broadcast live throughout the state was that one Wichita high school had 12 assistant principals. The Wichita Eagle found that to be incorrect. Kobach has yet to publicly acknowledge his mistake. But a campaign spokesperson after acknowledging the initial claim was wrong, still contended 12 principals and assistants for two large high schools was excessive. The question becomes, excessive compared to what? The facts show that the number is much lower compared to the rest of the state and nation.

Tallman Education Report: Kansas schools ALREADY spend less on non-instructi...

Kansas schools ALREADY spend less on non-instructional programs

Critics of Kansas public education sometimes claim that too little funding goes directly to teachers and too much to other programs. By cutting non-teaching programs and shifting that money to instruction, some say education could be improved without spending more money.

But national reports (link) show that Kansas already spends less on those programs than other states, including both the top states in student achievement and those most like Kansas.

This data supports the finding of the Legislature’s recent education cost study, conducted this earlier this year. The authors said Kansas schools are among the most efficient in the nation, producing nearly 96% of their potential output, on average. Kansas ranks in the top half of the nation on each of 15 student success indicators and ranks number nine overall, while total funding per pupil is 30th.

Most educators agree that “non-instructional” programs – principals, counselors, nurses, social services, speech pathology and audiology, libraries, food service and transportation, as well as operating school facilities and general administration – also have a big impact on student learning. The most recent data from other states (2016) finds Kansas spending trails other states in these areas.

Here is what Kansas spent on major parts of school operating budgets outside of instruction compared to other states, as reported by National Center for Education Statistics.  Kansas funding is compared to the U.S. average, the nine highest achieving states on 15 measures of student success, states bordering Kansas and other Plains states, “peer” states most similar to Kansas in population characteristics, and the 10 states with the lowest student success. (For details of the comparison states, see below.)

General Administration. It is the smallest item in every group. Kansas spent $242 per pupil, $20 more than the national average but lower than the highest achieving states, border/Plains states and peer states, and higher than the bottom performing states. (Note that the lowest spending states spend the least on general administration and the top performing states the most.)

School Administration. Republican candidate for Governor Kris Kobach has criticized some schools as being top heavy with principals, but Kansas spending of $583 per pupil on school building administration is less than any group except border/Plains states (which spent just $8 less). Research indicates that school principals are critical to student success.

Transportation. Kansas spent about $400 per pupil on transportation, less than any comparison group of states, including the U.S. average.

Operations and Maintenance. Kansas spent about $1,000 per pupil to heat, light, cool, clean, maintain, insure and secure school facilities – less than every group except border/Plains states.

Instructional support. This is funding for libraries, media centers, professional development, technology support, and assessment. Kansas spent less than $400 per pupil – much less than any other group.

Pupil support. This area includes counselors, social workers, attendance staff, health and other programs for students needing help outside of instruction. Kansas spent $519 per pupil, about the same as border/Plains states, less than every other group – and only about half what the most successful states provide.

Food service and all other. In addition to funding for student meals, this includes “central office” functions like bookkeeping, payroll and human resources. Kansas spent $579 per pupil, between $100 and $200 less than every comparison group.

Total. Kansas spent a total of just under $3,900 on these “non-instructional” programs, about $350 less than the nearest group (border/Plains states), $700 less than the national average and almost $2,000 less than the highest achieving states.

Impact of reducing non-instructional support

This data indicates that cutting non-instructional programs, which are already funded lower than most states, would not increase efficiency but reduce services. Among the consequences:

• Closing school building to reduce operations, maintenance.
• Reducing student services like counseling and health, which are not “academics” but critical to improving preparation for postsecondary education and addressing issues like suicide.
• Cutting school administration, which reduces teacher supervision and feedback and resources to address discipline, bullying and other student issues.
• Cutting professional development (continuing education) for educators, making it more difficult to redesign schools for improved student success and improve teaching.
• Eliminating transportation for students where not required but provided for safety and attendance.
• Consolidating school districts (which saves little funding because it is already the lowest area of expenditures). Closing small, rural districts reduces connections to local communities. Larger school districts actually begin to have higher costs as enrollment increases, according the Legislative study.

Comparison state definitions

The U.S. is the national average.
Top achieving states are nine states with higher overall achievement than Kansas on 15 measures of student success: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Vermont.
The Plains states are North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, with the border states of Colorado and Oklahoma included.
Overall peers are states most like similar to Kansas in student demographics, adult population characteristics and geographic population distribution:  Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Bottom achieving states are the ten lowest-ranked state on 15 measures of student success: Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Oregon.