By CRISTINA JANNEY

Hays Post

Thanks to increases in school funding passed by the Kansas Legislature this spring, the Hays school district is able to propose a reduction in student fees for the coming school year.

The Legislature passed funding for all-day kindergarten. The new funding bill requires public schools to eliminate enrollment fees for kindergarten.

District staff also is proposing using a portion of the increase in state per pupil funding to lower the student workbook/material fees.

Administrators are proposing decreasing the material fee from $135 to $90 per year. This would be a revenue decrease of $90,000.  The workbook/material fee pays for the cost of textbooks, library books and classroom and athletic supplies.

The new base state aid per pupil will be raised to $4,006 for the 2017-2018 school year, increasing overall state funding under the new funding law.

The school funding bill is being reviewed by the Kansas Supreme Court after a number of school districts sued the state in 2010, alleging the state was providing constitutionally inadequate funding to the state’s schools. The Supreme Court found in favor of the school districts and ordered the Legislature to address the school funding formula.

The latest formula is under review by the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to have a decision later this month. Until that decision can be made, the funding bill the Legislature passed this spring was allowed to become law on July 1.

Wednesday will be the board’s first meeting of the new fiscal year and is dedicated to reorganization. Among other appointments, the board will appoint a new president and vice president.

However, the board will be short one member. Current board vice president Sarah Rankin has announced her resignation as her family is moving out of Hays.

The board will vote on a motion to publish Rankin’s vacancy, which will set in motion the process for her replacement.

Rankin is in the second year of a four-year term.

The board will also set the mileage reimbursement rate to the state rate, which is $0.535 per mile and consider a memorandum of understanding for Ellis County schools.

The board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Rockwell Administrative Center. This differs from its normal Monday meeting date because of the July 4 holiday.