USD 489 chief reacts to school funding cuts: ‘Here we go again’

USD 489 Superintendent Dean Katt talk about Brownback 1.5 percent cut to public education, a $154,000 loss for USD 489, "..its sad..," Katt said — USD 489 Superintendent Dean Katt calls Gov. Brownback’s 1.5 percent cut to public education “sad.”

By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

Superintendent Dean Katt said his first reaction to the recent announcement by Governor Sam Brownback to cut state funds for public education yet another year was “here we go again.”

Gov. Sam Brownback announced the proposed 1.5 percent cut to K-12 funding on Thursday, along with a 2 percent cut to higher education, just as the House and the Senate forwarded a budget balancing bill to the governor. Brownback’s self-described tax “experiment” has led to a projected $344 million deficit by June 30.

Brownback’s latest proposed cut reduces the base state aid per pupil from $3,852 to $3,810.25 meaning a loss of more than $155,000 for USD 489.

“It’s the just same attack of public education … that we are not doing our jobs, we are wasteful, we are not appreciated and just to start that cycle again,” Katt said. “We are going to run-down public education as much as we can and then complain about the results. … We (USD 489) do an excellent job with what we have, and it’s sad.

“To say the problem is the school finance formula is ludicrous to me, we have a bigger issue and that is (state) revenue and there is not a lot of talk about revenues,” he added. “It’s always what is going to be cut.”

Katt said Hays USD 489 is used to dealing with state funding cuts but said this proposed cut is especially “stressing” as the board agreed to “very difficult” decisions last year such as letting 16 staff members go, raising fees and cutting transportation to make up for lost funds from the state.

“Last year, we did everything we could and worked hard to balance the budget. … We were not in the red and felt good about the direction we were headed, and really started to make some long-term plans,” Katt said. “And now all of this comes up, and it just kind of starts over so that piece is very difficult,”

“We know we are going to make have to do something,” Katt said adding there is not much else to cut besides programs and activities, though “we would not even have what we have” without the tremendous amount of community support who subsidize sports and music programs.

All in all, Katt said he and USD 489 district staff and teachers will do what they have always done — focus on students.

“We are going to continue to focus on providing the best education we can. We will start again … being very frugal with general fund spending and see what happens,” he said. “We are going to focus on the kids and move forward and stay as positive as we can.”