Kansas Association of Community College Trustees
700 SW Jackson, Suite 1000 • Topeka, KS 66603-3757 • 785-357-5156 • FAX 785-357-5157
• 19cc@kacct.org
Sheila Frahm, Executive Director
Policy
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700 S. W. Jackson, Ste. 1000, Topeka, Kansas 66603 - (785)-357-5156 |
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Big News of the Week:
Legislative Post Audit Report on School Finance…. The opening
of the 2006 Legislative Session, the newly renovated Senate Chambers and
east wing offices, the Governor’s State of the State Address and even the
Governor’s budget have all taken
a back seat to the big news of the week, the Legislative Post Audit Cost
Study Analysis of Elementary and Secondary Education in Kansas.
The study, which is actually two cost study analyses, one using an
input-based approach to determine how much it should cost school districts
to deliver the curriculum, services and programs mandated by State statute
and the other using an outcomes-based* approach to estimate how much it
should cost school districts to meet the performance outcome standards set
by the Board of Education, shows the state needs to increase the K-12 budget
between $316 million and $623 million.
The thick blue reports are very much in evidence throughout the
Statehouse and the topic of hall conversations as well as committee
meetings. No one is yet talking about the source (or sources) to fund
the recommendations, but one Statehouse veteran summed it up appropriately
when he said, “It’s going to take a boat-load of money.” *Scott
Frank, son-in-law of KACCT Executive Director, Sheila Frahm, led the
research team for Post Audit on the outcomes-based side of the report. The Governor’s Budget….Following
her State of the State speech on Monday evening, Governor Kathleen Sebelius
released her proposed 2007 budget Tuesday morning, calling for a $133
million increase in spending. With
a projected income of $5.7 billion, she calls for $5.3 billion in State
General Fund expenditures and a 7.5% ending balance of $395 million.
She recommends $8.9 million to complete the funding promise of the
higher education coordination act, SB 345.
The Governor’s budget was prepared before the Legislative Post
Audit report on Elementary and Secondary Education was released, so it is
anyone’s guess how her numbers will hold up when legislators are faced
with finding additional funding for K-12. A Bright Spot in State Finances….The House Appropriations Committee heard good news
when the Status of the State General Fund was reported at their first
meeting: receipts were up 1.0
percent above the estimate for FY2005; corporate estimated-only income tax
payments in FY 2005 exceeded the same period in FY 2004 by 43 percent;
expenditures were $34.8 million less than the amount approved by the 2005
Legislature; and FY 2005 actual ending balance was $478.7 million.
The Consensus Revenue Estimating Group met in November and adjusted
current year receipts to $221.0 million, up 4.5 percent; individual income
tax estimates was increased to $100 million; and sales and use tax estimates
were increased $15 million each. The
report noted, “The Kansas economy is expected to continue to grow at a
relatively robust rate for the balance of FY 2006 as the state continues to
recover from the recession. “ Robinson Will Stay With Regents….Reggie Robinson, chairman and CEO of the Kansas
Board of Regents, is no longer a candidate for the position of Dean of the
KU Law School. Robinson had
alerted those attending the December KBOR meeting that he was a finalist for
the job, but notified the Regents earlier this month that he planned to
continue as their leader. Higher Ed Bills Introduced….The Legislative Education Planning Committee who
met during the interim, along with the Higher Education Committee wasted no
time in introducing their higher education legislation: HB 2572:
An act concerning postsecondary educational institutions; relating to
private and out-of-state institutions (LEPC) HB 2573:
An act concerning income taxation; relating to deductions;
contributions to qualified tuition programs (LEPC) HB 2574:
An act concerning the state board of regents; relating to the
disposition of property acquired by devise (LEPC) HB 2575:
An act concerning education; relating to the Kansas challege to
secondary school pupils act (LEPC) HB 2602:
An act relating to energy conservation projects of technical and
community colleges (Higher Ed) HB 2603:
An act relating to state educational institutions (Higher Ed) HB 2604:
An act relating to members of the Midwestern higher education
commission (Higher Ed) HCR 5024:
A Concurrent Resolution encouraging the participation of the chief
executive officer of the state board of regents in the Governor’s cabinet
(Higher Ed) SB 330:
An act concerning family postsecondary savings accounts (LEPC) SB 331:
An act concerning technical colleges; relating to the governing body
thereof; relating to the powers and duties thereof (LEPC) SB 332:
An act concerning postsecondary educational institutions; relating to
insurance (LEPC) SMILES FOR THE WEEK….The
only difference between a tax man and a The Week Ahead….Committee
meetings of interest next week include: Wednesday,
January 18: Kansas Board of Regents Wednesday,
January 18: House
Higher Education
HB 2575: Kansas
challenge to secondary school pupils; concurrent enrollment, gifted
children; technical colleges Thursday,
January 19: House Economic Development
Workforce Development Report Important
Resources to gather legislative and budget information:
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