Public education’s report card for the 2003 Legislature is nothing to run home and celebrate.

The superintendents of seven public school districts in the Lawrence area gave the Legislature a letter grade, and none of the marks was higher than a “C.”

Steve Johnston, superintendent in the Perry-Lecompton district, said he appreciated that the weak economy cut into state revenues. That, in turn, undermined efforts to easily improve funding to schools, he said.

But lack of serious consideration by the House and Senate of a tax increase for schools was unsettling, he said.

“They certainly didn’t excel as far as supporting the children of our state,” Johnston said. “At the same time, I understand their constraints.”

Squeaking by

A late-session proposal by freshman Republicans and Democrats, including Rep. Paul Davis of Lawrence, that would have raised taxes to improve funding for districts was a sprig of hope that kept a few administrators from assigning lower grades.

“I would give our local delegation an ‘A,'” said Randy Weseman, Lawrence’s superintendent. “I think they showed courage and certainly tried to address the problem.”

Overall, however, Weseman gave the House and Senate a “D.”

“I don’t think they faced the issues,” he said. “They found a way to squeak by without failing.”

State financing for public school districts was a key issue for superintendents.

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“I felt good about the fact that public education was able to hold its own and not experience significant cuts in the per-pupil funding,” said Richard Erickson, the Tonganoxie superintendent who awarded the Legislature a “C.”

Oskaloosa Supt. Loren Lutes, who also handed out a “C,” said the 2003 session could have been far worse.

He wasn’t pleased Gov. Kathleen Sebelius accepted the Legislature’s move to delay payment of $213 million in state aid for school districts until July 1. The two-week postponement will allow the state to end the fiscal year June 30 without a deficit, but it puts a hurt on districts trying to make payroll.

A $27 cut in per-pupil aid authorized by then-Gov. Bill Graves also was left in place.

“They didn’t hurt us much more,” Lutes said.

No long-term plan

Eudora Supt. Marty Kobza said he felt lawmakers deserved a “C-minus” because they were confronted with big financial challenges but came up short of a long-term plan for bolstering the treasury.

He also said the current Legislature didn’t deserve all the blame.

“It was the Legislature back in 1994 … when they made significant tax cuts,” he said. “That was headed up by Tim Shallenburger.”

Shallenburger, who ran unsuccessfully for governor last year against Sebelius, was the House speaker when hundreds of millions of dollars in tax cuts were adopted.

Johnston, of Perry-Lecompton, said taxes ought to be raised to better support the schools.

“I think the state has an obligation to enhance revenue even though it may not be the politically popular thing to do,” he said.

A strong critic of the Legislature was Jean Rush, superintendent in the McLouth district. Lack of state funding is forcing cuts in her district that will hurt teacher retention and make it more difficult to educate kids.

“I’m afraid they failed,” she said. “I’m worried.”

She said the Legislature should have higher standards for public education.

“What is it that we hope to achieve?” Rush said. “If we want to be mediocre, I guess we’ll be fine.”

Jim White, superintendent in the Baldwin district, said he couldn’t hand out a failing grade. But a “D” captures the quality of their work on education this session, he said.

“It could have been worse, so I won’t give them an ‘F,’ he said. “They don’t deserve more than a ‘D.’

White said lawmakers should develop a multiyear plan for addressing inadequate funding for public schools. A three-year commitment to raising per-pupil aid by $50 annually is a good start, he said.

“They had no plan this year, and that is no way to run a business. I don’t think that is a way to run the Legislature, either.”