Panel looks at school district mergers
Published on -10/14/2009, 2:20 PM
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Associated Press Writer
TOPEKA - The chairman of the House budget committee said Monday he wants to consolidate Kansas' public school districts, but he and other lawmakers were reminded quickly why the idea hasn't been pursued more aggressively.
The House Appropriations Committee took up school consolidation during hearings on the state's budget problems. Chairman Kevin Yoder, an Overland Park Republican, said merging some of the state's 293 districts could make the state's public school system more efficient and reduce the state's costs.
Some committee members, particularly Democrats, were skeptical. Also, Andy Tompkins, a former Kansas education commissioner, told the panel the state isn't likely to see big savings unless districts close schools and lay off teachers.
Still, Yoder wasn't ready to give up on the idea because aid to public schools is state budget's biggest item.
"At first glance, it seems pretty challenging, but it also seems really challenging to continue to cut 4, 5 and 6 percent from the budget," Yoder said. "If this continues to get worse, what are we going to do? We better vet some of these options now."
Kansas has seen four rounds of spending reductions this year, and many Republicans like Yoder believe more will be needed to keep the budget balanced. Tax collections for July, August and September were about 5 percent short of expectations, a shortfall of $67 million.
The state has cut funding for schools by $130 million this year, reducing base aid by $215 per student, or 4.8 percent. Schools remain a target for cuts because their aid consumes more than half of the state's general tax revenues.
Lawmakers have argued for years that consolidating districts would reduce administrative costs. A few have even suggested allowing one district per county, 105 in all.
In 2002, legislators provided an incentive for districts to merge. The state can't recalculate - and perhaps lower - merged districts' combined state aid for at least three years.
Kansas has 11 fewer school districts now, but Yoder said the issue is whether the state can be more aggressive in encouraging consolidation - or whether legislators should step in and force it.
Legislators forced districts to consolidate in the 1960s, when the state had more than 1,800. But the bitterness in some rural communities was strong enough that lawmakers avoided the issue for years afterward.
Rep. Don Hineman, a Dighton Republican, said districts still resist merging, despite the state's incentives.
"There are other issues besides education," Hineman said. "That's loss of the employment base, the death of the community. They're going to put that off as long as they can."
Rep. Doug Gatewood, a Columbus Democrat, said he believes any administrative savings from consolidation would be "minimal."
Tompkins, now dean of Pittsburg State University's College of Education, said any plan to close schools to save money raises a practical question, particularly in rural areas: "How long do you want the kid on the bus?"
Rep. Jason Watkins, a Wichita Republican, said he doubts legislators have the will to pursue consolidation more aggressively.
But he added: "Would you save money and should we do it? Yeah, we probably should."
You people that think merging is the only answer have clearly never taught school and do not know how/where money goes inside with the programs. Merge a whole county and 3 subjects will be taught, 1 sport played and student moral drops.
(Posted by: catt9)
schools: 10/15/2009
merge some of them! there are so many....in some small rural counties that we would still have more than 1 school per county after the merges!!
(Posted by: paul)
schools: 10/15/2009
for catt9...i am so sorry that you only had 3 kids in your class. how horrible!!! good thing we can now move on and past the "little house on the prairie" days. i don't think anyone should sit on a bus for 1 1/2 hours, but most of these buses are over-lapping now and i know a county where there are 3 schools within 10 miles of each other!!!
(Posted by: merge 'em)
school finance: 10/15/2009
we really really need to look at some of this in rural western kansas. there are some VERY small schools that could merge with another school LESS than 10 miles away! common sense poeple! the state doesn't have money to just keep handing out. it is time....to move on.
(Posted by: some school mergers okay)
keep dreaming: 10/15/2009
close schools and put all the kids together they end up spending more money to build something even bigger and tax people even more and the kids learn less. in grade school i had 3 in my class all 6 years.
(Posted by: catt9)
consolidation: 10/15/2009
The first step is to have one high school per county. you can still have some elementary institutions in some smaller towns, but the smaller high schools are not doing the job they need to be doing in educating our youth. change is coming, and we all need to wake up to that fact and prepare for it.
(Posted by: Looking Ahead)
mergers: 10/14/2009
not a good idea. Too many miles in between towns and on busses. More required maintance and purchasing of busses. Districts will still shell out the same amount of money...just in different areas. I used to ride 1 1/2 hours to school from a roule area every day. It was a terrible experience in which there should have been behavioral supports to help the driver manage the children. This is really not a good idea. More money will be spent in the long run. People are just not thinking the whole picture through!!!
(Posted by: darlene)
money: 10/14/2009
is it possible to have older children us computers at home for some online classes. maybe they could spend less gas on bussing and in teachers' saleries. Just a thought.
(Posted by: )
Finally: 10/14/2009
Of course we need to raise taxes, how about those making over 100,000 a year. They can afford to give more but we don't tax them cause we honestly believe they reinvest their money, bull they keep it and buy another car.
(Posted by: More Taxes)
Schools: 10/14/2009
I believe it is time to go to one school per county. Quit putting off the inevitable and get the process rolling.
(Posted by: concerned citizen)
School Finance: 10/14/2009
School Finance by the State is required by the Kansas Constitution. If you want to make it better, you'll have to raise taxes, but the idea of every county being a school district isn't too bad. They'll still have the same level of funding though.
(Posted by: Me)
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