By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
During a Hays school board meeting, Rep. Eber Phelps, D-Hays, questioned the validity of a consultant’s study on state school financing even before it is set to be released to the public on March 15.
The $200,000 study was commissioned by the leadership in the House and Senate and is being done by a researcher at Texas A&M and a consulting group. Phelps attended a preliminary presentation from the researchers on Friday.
The researcher did a similar study for Texas that was presented to the Texas Supreme Court, and her study came in millions under what had been recommended for school funding in that state, Phelps said.
The Texas Supreme Court said the study overstated rural district behavior and underestimated the influence of urban districts.
“I think they found someone they could pay $200,000 who would say that we are spending too much money,” Phelps said.
Phelps said he thinks the consultants are going to argue funding does not correlate with outcomes. He also fears the consultants will recommend less money for education of English Language Learners and disadvantaged students.
Phelps said he believes there is enough money in the state budget to increase funding for schools $200 million per year over three years for a total boost of $600 million for schools. From July to December, the state’s revenue receipts grew by $352 million compared to a year ago. Changes to federal tax codes will result in an estimated additional $138 million for the state in 2019 and $180 million in 2020.
“Is ($600 million) enough?” Phelps said. “I think it is a start.”
The Kansas Supreme Court has issued a decision that state school funding is inadequate, and the Legislature has until April 30 to present a new funding formula to the court.
The Legislature is at its halfway point in the session, and Phelps expressed frustration more has not been done to address school finance.
“There are those of us in the Legislature who are really getting frustrated with the progress thus far, especially in light of last year where there was such a collaborative effort and desire on the part of the Legislature in both the House and the Senate to get things back on track,” he said.
The Legislature established a school finance task force, but Phelps said up until now the task force has only had informational hearings.
“I was disappointed that we don’t have something out there already,” he said. “With that task-force type committee meeting prior to the session and seeing these revenue dollars coming in, it seems to me we could have had something prepared.”
Phelps said he prefers to address the school funding plan now rather than having to come back and address it in a special session.
He said leaders in both houses chose to go after the Supreme Court instead of focusing on funding. Phelps was also critical of lawmakers’ attempts to discredit Dale Dennis, deputy education commissioner, over transportation funding. Phelps called Dennis one of the most honorable and respected people in Topeka and the foremost authority on state school finance.
He also hopes the Legislature could put back about $24 million that has been cut from higher education.
Phelps also briefly addressed a bill that would have created an opt-in program to teach an NRA gun safety program at elementary schools.
It was pulled from debate because it was based on an NRA program that was not fact-based, Phelps said. Legislators are working to find a fact-based program and develop a more comprehensive safety program following the school shooting in Florida.