The Lawrence school district fares worse under Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ new spending blueprint for public education than any other district in the state, officials said.

“If my choice were between this and nothing, I take nothing,” said Lawrence Supt. Randy Weseman. “This particular proposal, in its current form, represents the most significant budget challenge to our board of education I can remember. In this form, it is a meltdown for us.”

He has worked in the district more than 25 years.

Weseman said the plan would force the district to cut programs even though patrons would be paying more in taxes.

An analysis of the governor’s school finance recommendations by the Kansas Department of Education found each of the 302 other school districts in the state would receive more new money per student than Lawrence.

The district would realize a budget increase of $23 per student — at least $120 less per student than neighboring districts of Tonganoxie, Baldwin, Perry-Lecompton and Eudora.

Governor’s plan

Under Sebelius’ proposal, the Copeland school district in southwest Kansas would be the state’s biggest financial winner. That district’s increase would be $1,094 per student.

“Show me what’s rational about this,” Weseman said.

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Austin Turney, the Lawrence school board president, said the governor’s school-finance plan ought to be modified to more equitably distribute funding among all the state’s districts.

“We have to remain hopeful that this particular disaster will be averted,” he said.

During a news conference Friday in Topeka, Sebelius said she would take under advisement alternative school-finance proposals. She’s heard from numerous school officials since she unveiled her plan Monday, and many were appreciative of the effort to provide more money for teacher salaries, all-day kindergarten and at-risk students.

“Whether or not this particular formula works the best, I’m really looking for their expertise about that,” she said.

Under the governor’s budget, the state’s income, sales and property taxes would be increased to fund a $304 million increase in spending on public education for the next three years.

Paying more for less

Weseman said that meant residents of the Lawrence district would end up paying more in taxes without much local benefit.

“Under this model, taxes are going to go up. That increase goes other places,” he said.

He also said the Lawrence school district’s enrollment decline in 2003 meant appropriations next year from the state would be cut about $500,000. That would wipe out all of the $233,000 increase Sebelius targeted for Lawrence schools.

It guarantees another round of budget cuts in the district and lessens prospects of salary increases for teachers and staff.

A district committee will start work Tuesday to find possible budget cuts, and the school board convenes Jan. 26 to begin discussing spending rollbacks.

Under Sebelius’ budget, $2.09 million more would be allocated to the Lawrence district in base aid per pupil and for programs to educate at-risk and bilingual students.

But those financial improvements are nearly wiped out by the governor’s proposal to recalculate special-education funding to districts. Instead of basing spending on the number of teachers and paraprofessionals serving special-education students, money under Sebelius’ budget would be distributed based on student enrollment. That switch would reduce special-education funding to the Lawrence district by $1.86 million annually, leaving a net gain of $233,000.

Special education hit

Bruce Passman, executive director of student services for Lawrence schools, said the governor’s proposal would exacerbate the challenge of funding special education. The state and federal governments have never fully funded the district’s special education budget of $14 million annually, he said.

“You’re taking an underfunded program already and redistributing the dollars and not adding to it,” he said.

Turney concurred: “If this particular approach is carried through, which in effect penalizes you for having special-education kids … we could be badly hurt.”

Weseman said the 2004 Legislature should take a hard look at the governor’s recommendations.

“We’re asking that they take some time and look at the numbers,” he said. “Because there’s no chicken in our pot.”