Lawrence candidates for city commission and school board debated how much cooperation should exist between the two agencies at a Sunday afternoon forum sponsored by the Douglas County Republican Women.
At one end of the spectrum is Kurt Thurmaier. Sunday at the Lawrence Municipal Airport he repeated his proposal to have city and county governments help finance education, rather than depend on state aid.
"The school district is not going to get its money from Topeka. It's not happening," Thurmaier said. "I think the alternative is for the Lawrence community to say we're going to solve the problem on our own."
Adam Mansfield, a city commission candidate, also supported increased cooperation.
"The three taxing bodies (city, county and school) need to work together to provide the best education possible, the best services possible," he said.
Other candidates were cautious about the idea, saying city and schools should work together on planning issues, for instance, but shying away from talk of sharing financial burdens.
"I guess I haven't written off Topeka," school board candidate Linda Robinson said.
She said state and federal authorities are promising to make education "the No. 1 priority."
And a little more belt-tightening might not hurt, Robinson suggested.
"I think we have to be fiscally responsible," she said. "We spend an awful lot of money on administration, on centers and conferences, that could go into the classroom."
David Dunfield, an incumbent city commission candidate, noted that the city and school already have worked to share some costs. The gym at the new Langston Hughes School was partly financed by the city, he said, for use in city recreation programs.
Sue Hack, a teacher and city commission candidate, said more information is needed about cost-sharing.
"I don't see there are any buckets of money at the city and county levels, either," she said.
Bonnie Augustine, a former commissioner who represented incumbent commissioner Marty Kennedy at the forum, added: "It feels like robbing Peter to pay Paul."
School board candidate Nicole Rials said the emphasis shouldn't be entirely on money.
"It's been proven that no matter how much money we pour in the schools, there's still a social need that must be met," she said.
Kennedy and incumbent commissioner Erv Hodges missed the forum because of a city business trip to Washington, D.C. Leni Salkind, an incumbent school board candidate, did not attend but sent a representative in her place.
The deadline to register to vote is March 19. Election Day is April 3; the top three vote-getters in each race will take spots on the boards.
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