Members of the Kansas Legislature's Education Funding Task Force spent a day and a half at the Statehouse on May 27-28 examining student outcomes and accountability measures and marking a clear shift in focus from earlier meetings that centered on the mechanics of the school finance formula.

If you've been following Under The Dome this year, you've seen regular coverage of the Kansas Legislature's Education Funding Task Force. But what exactly is it, how did it come to exist, and why should Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) members care? Here's what you need to know.

Members of the Kansas Legislature’s Education Funding Task Force met April 20-21 at the Statehouse to begin a detailed review of Kansas’ K-12 school finance system, a process that will shape the next generation of how public education is funded in Kansas.

The Legislature concluded its final week of the regular session with activity centered on conference committee reports and final floor action.

The Legislature enters its final scheduled week of the 2026 regular session, shifting fully into the closing phase where remaining work is driven by timing and final agreement.

Legislative activity accelerated during the tenth week as lawmakers worked to meet the Second Chamber Consideration deadline, which was on Friday, March 20.

House Bill 2468 – also known as the voucher bill – is on its way to Gov. Laura Kelly’s office after the House on Tuesday, March 17, adopted a conference committee’s report with a vote of 76-44.

“When you go to work, you prove that another world is possible. Because every day, you serve each child who walks through your school’s doors,” Ross Allison-Natale told educators, students and public education supporters gathered at the Kansas Statehouse on Tuesday, March 17, for Lucky to Have Kansas Public Schools Rally.

With the regular session racing toward First Adjournment on March 27, this week marks the conclusion of most regular standing committee work, wrapping up by Tuesday, March 17.

Legislative activity continued at a steady pace during the ninth week of the 2026 Kansas Legislative Session as lawmakers advanced policy measures on the Senate floor while committees worked through what will likely be the final round of hearings for the 2026 session.

The voucher bill is now headed to a Conference Committee after Rep. Susan Estes, R-Wichita, moved Thursday, March 12, for the House to nonconcur with amendments adopted by the Senate.

Several education-related bills saw movement Monday, March 9, and Tuesday, March 10, as the Kansas Legislature begins its descent toward adjournment, now roughly a month away.

The Kansas Legislature enters the ninth week of the 2026 session with committee hearings continuing across both chambers and floor debate beginning to occupy more of the legislative calendar.

Legislative activity continued at a steady pace during the eighth week as committees advanced policy proposals and the Senate devoted extended floor debate to its version of the state budget.

The voucher bill – House Bill 2468 – was passed out of the Senate Education Committee on Thursday, March 5.

After more than seven hours of debate Tuesday, the Kansas Senate narrowly approved its version of the state budget on a 21–19 vote, advancing Senate Bill 315 following discussion that included several amendments related to public education.

The Legislature enters its eighth week with committee work continuing across policy and budget issues as floor debate begins to expand.

Week seven included continued committee activity and significant floor debate in both chambers. The Senate advanced a proposed constitutional amendment related to property valuation, while the House passed a substitute state budget bill for fiscal years 2026 through 2028.

The Kansas House on Thursday, Feb. 26, approved House Bill 2434, which adds only $10 million in state aid annually to special education.

In emergency final action on Wednesday, Feb. 25, the Kansas Senate approved a resolution capping annual property valuation increases at 3%.