By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
After Friday’s Kansas Supreme Court ruling stating current public school funding levels are unconstitutional, Hays USD 489 Superintendent Dean Katt is wishing the court had gone “just a bit farther.”
The court failed to rule on what number constitutes “adequate funding” per student and sent the issue back to the courts for review — a review that could be a long process. A summary of the ruling can be seen HERE.
Katt said while he is cautiously optimistic, he is disappointed the courts did not address the issue now.
“I was hoping — not expecting by any means, but hoping,” Katt said, “they would just come out and say (the state) needs to fund education at this level whereas everyone would see money in their budgets — money that would go directly to the kids.”
Katt said he had not gotten the chance to read the complete ruling yet, but did find an item that could benefit Hays concerning supplemental and general funds.
“If the state funded that at 100 percent.. as state aid … what that would mean for Hays is we would see about $160,000 more in state aid,” Katt said. “That does not mean our budget increases that amount, but taxes collected would be subsidized with that state aid and reduce the mill levy.”
Related story: Supreme Court issues school finance decision.