Education Funding Task Force continues work on next school finance formula

By Timothy Graham
KNEA Director of Government Relations

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 meetings focused heavily on the structure of the current formula, including how funding is divided between state aid and local property taxes. Data presented to the task force underscored a growing trend - more districts are relying on local option budgets (LOB) at or near their maximum levels, reinforcing a long-standing concern that when the state does not fully fund public education, the cost shifts to local communities through increased property taxes.

Monday’s meeting centered on the mechanics of the formula, including weightings designed to account for differences in student needs and district characteristics. Tuesday’s meeting expanded into broader discussions of state aid, special education funding, and the role of the formula itself.

Throughout both days, conversations repeatedly returned to questions of accountability, funding priorities and the complexity of a system where changes in one area can significantly impact others.

What happened

The task force spent much of its time reviewing how the current school finance formula is structured and how funding flows through the system.

On Monday, task force members focused on the individual components of the formula, particularly the various weightings used to adjust funding based on student needs and district characteristics. These include at-risk funding, bilingual education, enrollment-based weightings and other factors designed to account for differences across Kansas school districts.

On Tuesday, the task force shifted into broader funding discussions, with significant attention given to the LOB, which allows districts to raise additional funds through local property taxes.

Testimony and data presented during the meeting highlighted how reliance on the LOB has increased over time, with a large majority of districts now operating at or near the maximum allowed level. What was once considered a supplemental funding mechanism has effectively become a core part of how districts maintain operations. 

The task force also reviewed alternative approaches to special education funding, including models used in other states that allocate funding based on student counts and levels of need rather than reimbursing districts for staff positions. While no decisions were made, members explored how different funding structures could impact predictability, equity and overall cost.

Throughout both days, members emphasized that the formula operates as an interconnected system, where changes to one component can create unintended consequences in others. That dynamic framed much of the discussion as the task force begins its work toward developing recommendations for the next version of the school finance formula. 

Key issues and themes

As discussions moved beyond the mechanics of the formula, several key themes began to emerge that will likely shape the task force’s work moving forward.

One of the most consistent areas of focus was the growing reliance on local property taxes to support public education. As more districts reach or approach the maximum allowed under the LOB, the distinction between state funding and local funding becomes increasingly blurred. The data presented reinforced a familiar reality - when state investment does not keep pace with costs, districts turn to local taxpayers to fill the gap.

Accountability also surfaced repeatedly throughout both days of discussion. In many cases, questions about funding were tied to concerns about student outcomes, with some members suggesting that additional measures should be used to evaluate school performance. At the same time, there was acknowledgment that relying solely on statewide assessments provides an incomplete picture of student success.

The complexity of the formula itself remained a central theme. Members emphasized that the system is designed to account for significant differences across districts, and that simplifying the formula would likely require trade-offs that could affect how resources are distributed.

For additional perspective on the discussion - including observations on tone and overall direction - members can view a joint Facebook Live conversation hosted by the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB), featuring Shannon Kimble, KASB Government Relations Specialist, and Timothy Graham, KNEA Director of Government Relations.

The conversation highlighted concerns about the tone of the task force discussions, which at times reflected a focus on perceived shortcomings in public education. It also underscored a broader challenge facing the committee - meaningful policy work becomes more difficult when discussions begin from the assumption that the system itself is fundamentally flawed.

What It means

Although the task force is still in the early stages of its work, the direction of the discussion makes clear that any changes to the school finance formula will involve difficult decisions.

At its core, the conversation is not simply about how to fund schools, but how to balance competing priorities within a system that must serve students with widely different needs across diverse district contexts.

Efforts to simplify the formula must be weighed against the risk of losing the precision required to distribute resources equitably. Likewise, conversations about accountability must be grounded in a clear understanding of what success looks like and how it should be measured.

The increasing reliance on local property taxes remains a central concern. As districts continue to depend on local funding to maintain operations, the relationship between state investment and local tax burden will remain a key point of focus for policymakers moving forward.

The task force is expected to continue meeting throughout the interim, with the goal of developing recommendations ahead of the 2027 expiration of the current school finance formula.

Watch the meetings

Members who would like to view the full task force meetings can access them here:

April 20 meeting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzqzSSK2mfA

April 21 meeting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTJ7Vl7Mo4M