2026 SPS Legislative Resolutions

Preamble

Kansans support our public schools; the people of Kansas codified that support in our state Constitution. Salina Public Schools believe that universal public education is a fundamental right that does and should provide each student the opportunity to reach their potential and is critical to the economic success of our communities. School districts are required to provide educational services to, and are held accountable for, the education of all students.

SPS also believes that public education is best governed and managed by democratically elected school boards. The Kansas Constitution delegates these responsibilities to the Kansas State Board of Education and to locally elected, non-partisan boards of education. We believe this system is a cornerstone of American democracy.

The federal government plays an important role in partnership with the state to provide funding for public schools and to ensure all students have access to educational opportunities.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

SPS supports full funding of IDEA to allow school districts to access the statutorily promised goal of Congress providing up to 40 percent federal funding of the excess costs of the education of students with disabilities. Full federal funding of IDEA would relieve pressure on the State General Fund and local property taxes.

Title Funds

We oppose the reduction of federal Title funds. Title funds support important programs for student achievement.

Public Funding for Public Education

SPS supports repeal of the provisions of the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA). SPS opposes federal action to use public funding, directly or indirectly, through vouchers, education savings accounts, trust funds, scholarships, tax credits or any other means, to support schools that are not required to accept all students on the same basis as public schools; are not required to meet the academic, performance, and financial accountability standards of public
schools; and are outside of the system of both local and state oversight by locally elected boards of education. SPS further opposes federal action that would require states to adopt, or disproportionately provide benefits to, programs to aid such schools.

Federal Budget, Education Funds, and Tax Policy

Funding for education is a critical national economic development imperative. SPS opposes federal tax changes that would result in reductions in federal education aid. SPS supports restoring advanced refunding of tax-exempt bonds to the federal tax code.

SPS supports federal funding being appropriated and allocated to states, and to school districts, based on need as opposed to block grants. Federal education funding must be used for public schools, not to replace state funding or support non-public education.

Separation of Powers

SPS supports the separation of powers and opposes expanding executive authority through federal agencies without authorizing legislation. SPS opposes eliminating the U.S. Department of Education through executive order. The Department plays a vital role in ensuring the fair and lawful distribution of federal education funds, collaborating with states to provide technical assistance to education leaders, and sharing research-based best practices that support student success in schools across the nation.

Every Student Succeeds Act Implementation

SPS supports full funding of ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) to achieve the goals of the program under strong local governance, and continuation of funding of Title II to support effective teaching; and supports federal aid for the development of appropriate student assessments.

Early Learning

SPS supports federal aid to state and local early learning programs and opposes federal mandates on states and school districts for pre-K programs.

Childhood Nutrition

SPS supports federal funds to provide free breakfast and lunch to all public-school students.

Medicaid Services and Health Care

SPS opposes changes in the federal Medicaid program that would reduce funding or eligibility for school-based special education services. SPS further supports state and federal efforts to ensure all children have access to health care services that allow them to receive education for lifelong success.

Recruitment and Retention

SPS supports programs to recruit a diverse and well-prepared workforce. SPS asks Congress
to continue and improve initiatives to support students pursuing post-secondary opportunities, especially for those students who plan to become educators in high-need fields or geographic areas. SPS urges expanded federal efforts to address teacher and principal shortages by encouraging programs such as registered teacher apprenticeships and partnerships with teacher-education institutions such as “Grow Your Own” pathways to the classroom.

Federal Impact Aid

SPS supports authorization and full funding of Impact Aid to local districts.

Key Priorities

• Fully fund special education services to meet the needs of all students.
• Support schools in recruiting and retaining teachers and education support staff by strengthening KPERS and eliminating post-retirement work penalties.
• Sustain Kansas’s investment in public education by renewing and refreshing the current school finance formula—preserving its constitutional foundation while adapting it to meet the evolving needs of Kansas public school students.
• Protect and respect local control by empowering elected school boards to lead without curricular or restrictive funding mandates. Freeing districts from these constraints allows public schools to focus on teaching and learning—not bureaucracy.
• Ensure taxpayer dollars for education are directed exclusively to public schools that are accountable to students, parents, and their communities.

State Resolutions

Introduction

Kansas public education is governed by locally elected, non-partisan boards of education. According to the Kansas Constitution, “The legislature shall provide for intellectual, educational, vocational and scientific improvement by establishing and maintaining public schools, educational institutions and related activities which may be organized and changed in such manner as may be provided by law.”

The Constitution also establishes a state board of education “which shall have general supervision of public schools” and affirms that “local public schools under the general supervision of the state board of education…shall be maintained, developed and operated by local elected boards.” Furthermore, it requires that the legislature “shall make suitable provision for finance of the educational interests of the state.”

To fulfill these constitutional responsibilities and ensure strong educational outcomes, we support the following foundational requirements for Kansas public schools:

Financing Schools

Adequate and Equitable Funding of Public Schools

• We support suitable finance provided by the Kansas Legislature, including continued implementation of the constitutionally suitable school funding and inflationary adjustments approved by the Legislature, the Governor, and the Kansas Supreme Court.
• We support the renewal of the current constitutional school finance formula, which has been deemed adequate and equitable by the Kansas Supreme Court, by repealing the sunset provision. Maintaining the structure and approach of this constitutional formula will provide critical stability, predictability, and continuity for Kansas school districts and their communities, supporting the vital role that our public schools play as community hubs and centers of community connections and activities.
• The formula should efficiently and effectively meet the planning and funding needs of all districts—those that are growing in enrollment as well as those that are stable or declining in enrollment. This is especially important given the uncertainties in forecasting enrollment that now exist because of the current non-resident enrollment procedures districts must follow.
• Providing increased funding that keeps pace with rising operational costs is essential to enable districts to offer competitive wages, which are critical for attracting and retaining highly qualified professional educators and support staff who drive student achievement.
• The Legislature should ensure equitable and adequate funding for school district capital costs by revising the capital improvement aid formula and allowing districts to provide appropriate facilities. The legislature should repeal the statute prohibiting the State Board of Education from approving a bond issue if the cap on bond and interest state aid has been reached.

Public Accountability for Public Funds

To ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed, all schools and school programs and activities supported by public funds must serve all children on the same basis as public schools. We oppose programs including but not limited to vouchers, education savings accounts, trust funds, scholarships, and tuition tax credits because such programs divert public funding from public education to schools which are not required to serve all students, including those who are disadvantaged, disabled, or those with the greatest needs.

Special Education

We support the state legislature meeting its statutory obligation to reimburse special education service costs at the mandatory rate of 92 percent of excess costs to ensure student success. Underfunding special education creates a budget shortfall which forces school districts to shift funds away from services and programs for all students to pay for mandated special education services.

Ensuring Adequate and Equitable Funding of Public Schools Through Sound Tax Policy

• We oppose arbitrary limits on taxes and valuations because of the long-term impact on revenues for schools and other public services. We urge caution and due deliberation in the consideration of tax policy.
• Tax policy must provide sustainable and reliable funding for public schools; property tax relief efforts must not imperil school funding. Any reduction in the statewide mill levy for K-12 schools must be offset by other state funds.
• We support school districts and students engaging in entrepreneurial pursuits for educational purposes and not being deemed in competition with privately-owned businesses.

Managing Schools

Local Control of Public Schools

Article 6, Section 5 of the Kansas Constitution directs that "Local public schools under the general supervision of the state board of education shall be maintained, developed and operated under locally elected boards.”

• We support management of public schools under locally elected boards of education, including setting curriculum, staffing, fiscal management, and policies, so that such schools can progress and meet State Board standards.
• We support the repeal or clarification of the provisions of SB 113 of 2023 on the disposition of district property.
• We support the amendment or elimination of the open enrollment provisions prescribed in Sen. Sub. to HB 2567 of the 2022 session because the required timelines and procedures are not practical to determine short and long-term district and building capacity. Mandatory open enrollment will increase the property tax burden in the receiving district with no impact on the transferring families. Districts should have the authority to prioritize out-of-district enrollment of employees’ children to aid in the recruitment and retention of high-quality staff.
• We support the elimination of all mandatory transfers from the Supplemental General Fund (LOB) to other, restricted funds. Current law interferes with districts’ ability to use local funds to best address local needs. Restoring local option budget flexibility will better serve all students, reduce the numbers of students who need extra help, and contribute to improved employee recruitment and retention.
• We support improving teacher recruitment and retention through local control of classroom content, respect for the teaching profession, and increased funding for salaries, including the inflationary adjustments approved by the legislature and Kansas Supreme Court.
• The legislature should provide financial incentives to districts that voluntarily consolidate the provision of services.

Improving Schools

Collaborating with the State Board of Education to Support Success for Every Kansas Student

SPS supports the Kansas State Board of Education’s Kansans Can vision and outcomes, with the goal of leading the world in the success of each student.

We support the Kansans Can Outcomes and advocate for the following policies to promote them:

Postsecondary Success

• Support the State Board's collaboration with higher education institutions to expand access to postsecondary opportunities—both during high school and after graduation.

High School Graduation

• Support district implementation of the recently revised graduation requirements, as guided by the State Board.

Academically Prepared for Postsecondary

• Expand and refine student success metrics to move beyond narrow reliance on state assessments, which offer an incomplete view; emphasize growth measures that more fully reflect academic progress and readiness.
• Ensure access to affordable broadband for all Kansas students, families, and schools.
• Provide sufficient state funding to meet the diverse needs of students.
• Rely on consistent, stable indicators of need to guide the equitable allocation of at-risk dollars to public schools.
• Increase district flexibility in how at-risk funds are spent, enabling targeted strategies that improve outcomes for at-risk students.
• Strengthen collaboration among agencies and the Legislature to support students in foster care or experiencing homelessness.

Social Emotional Growth

• Continue supporting locally determined measures of success in social-emotional development.

Kindergarten Readiness

• Expand early childhood education programs to enhance student outcomes and provide greater support for families.

Individual Plans of Study

• Ensure adequate funding to support personalized educational pathways for every public school student.

Civic Engagement

• Support the State Board’s efforts to integrate civic engagement into the school accreditation system.

Parents Are Our Partners

• We support the development of relationships among local teachers, students, and families without additional, restrictive legislative oversight resulting in the diversion of time and money from the classroom to bureaucratic tasks.
• Families and local educators should make grade-level retention decisions—not the state. Mandating a one-size-fits-all policy undermines parental rights and removes educators from the process. Without major investments in student supports, statewide mandatory retention policies are ineffective and increase the risk of students not graduating. Research shows retention mandates rarely improve achievement and often cause long-term harm.

Student and Staff Safety, Security, Health, and Well-Being

We support policies that will improve student safety, security, health, and well-being, including:

• Amending Sen. Sub to HB 2567 of the 2022 session to allow teachers, counselors, and other district employees to administer questionnaires, surveys, and screening tools to ensure student mental health and school safety and to support professional classroom management practices without undue legislative oversight.
• Increasing support for the behavioral and mental health needs of students and staff.
• Implementing the legislative recommendations of the School Bus Arm Violation Committee.
• Studying state transportation aid to include students living less than 2.5 miles from their assigned school, including but not limited to funding to transport students who live in hazard areas.
• Addressing student health and safety issues, including youth vaping and other drug use.
• Expanding districts’ capital outlay mill levy authority for school safety expenses.

Recruiting and Retaining Excellent Educators and Support Staff

• Exploring ways to address staff shortages, including:
  • Improving teacher recruitment and retention through local control of classroom content, respect for the teaching profession, and increased funding for salaries;
  • Supporting the State Board of Education’s professional licensing standards for teachers and substitute teachers;
  • Supporting efforts to improve KPERS to enhance the recruitment and retention of school district staff. These efforts should address reducing or ending the “working after retirement” penalty and maintaining or improving retirement benefits for educators and education support staff.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Public Schools

We support the State Board of Education providing guidance on best practices and continuing to support local districts in developing and implementing local policies.

Governing Schools

Authority of the Kansas State Board of Education

• We affirm the Kansas Constitution’s directive to promote intellectual, educational, vocational, and scientific improvement, and support the balanced governance structure outlined in Article 6, which assigns responsibilities to entities directly accountable to voters.
• We support the Kansas State Board of Education’s general supervisory authority over public schools, including its responsibility for setting accreditation standards, academic learning standards, graduation requirements, and educator licensure.

Authority of the Kansas State High School Activities Association

We support the KSHSAA’s responsibility for the oversight of student interscholastic activities, which enhance students’ academic achievement and postsecondary success. To best serve students, school districts should have local control over expectations of student engagement that exceed KSHSAA minimums.

Transparency in the Legislative Process

We oppose the practice of “bundling” K-12 appropriations with unrelated policies, especially proposals that have not received a committee hearing. This includes budget provisos that function as single-source contracts for education-related services.

Improvements to the K-12 Budget Approval Process

• Because school boards are legally required to publish their budget documents, property tax rates, and budget hearing notices in local media, the legislature should exempt school districts from the “revenue neutral rate” hearing law which has caused needless confusion and discontent and will cause districts to incur future costs to mail notices to taxpayers.
• We support flexibility for school districts to avoid legal penalties if budget documents and hearing notices are not published on time or have errors due to factors beyond the districts’ control.

Protecting Local Board Authority and Respecting Local Control of Governance Decisions

• Adjusting statutes to include more flexibility to respond to disasters and public health emergencies such as required hours and/or days of instruction.
• Because local school boards are elected to decide educational policies in the best interests of the community, they should have the authority to make decisions concerning health emergencies and should not have to have special hearings or judicial appeal requirements in these areas that are different from other board actions.
• We support local boards’ constitutional governing authority and generally oppose unfunded mandates and mandates that create clear conflicts between state and federal requirements and laws, such as mandates that would require a school district to promote a specific religious faith. Such conflicting mandates have negative unintended consequences for public schools, including causing districts to divert resources from their core mission of educating students.

Statewide Longitudinal Data System

KSDE maintains a robust longitudinal data system for public school students. Legislative efforts to enhance the availability of birth-to-workforce data should rely upon this existing infrastructure rather than duplicate it. Data collection systems must robustly protect students’ rights to privacy in full compliance with current state and federal laws.