Schools for Fair Funding

In 1992 the Kansas base state aid per pupil was $3,600. Adjusted for inflation, that would amount to $6,001 in 2013. The 2013 BSAPP was $3,838, or just $2,302 in 1992 dollars. As funding has dropped, education costs have gone up because of federally mandated special education costs and all-day kindergarten.  In the 2008-2009 school year, the BSAPP was $4,400, or 15 percent higher than 2013.  State law provides for a BSAPP of $4,492 for 2009-2010 and each school year thereafter.  The Legislature has ignored its own commitments to local school districts.  The governor’s proposal for the next fiscal year would raise the BSAPP by $14, or .36 percent. Inflation for 2013 was 1.47 percent, which would require an increase of $56 to stay even.