When Kansas Citizens for Higher Education came to Lawrence Wednesday, they were largely preaching to the choir. Most of the people at a Lawrence Chamber of Commerce luncheon and an afternoon meeting attended mostly by Kansas University administrators were easily convinced that Kansas needs to do more to fund higher education in the state.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the presentation that showed how Kansas universities are falling behind their counterparts in the Big 12 was the people delivering the message. Bill Hall, president of the Hall Family Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., and Bill Taylor, a retired partner with the Ernst and Young accounting firm, spoke on behalf of Kansas Citizens for Higher Education, composed of business leaders across the state.

Unfortunately, too many of their fellow business leaders don’t seem to be joining the charge. Improving salaries and facilities at state universities means money, and money may mean higher taxes, which many businesses oppose. Some Kansas businesses reportedly are pouring money into anti-tax political action committees working to defeat state legislators who would consider raising taxes to fund public education. The Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry equates higher taxes with an unfriendly business climate and strongly opposes tax increases for education.

During one of their presentations on Wednesday, the representatives of Kansas Citizens for Higher Education correctly called that view “shortsighted.” Although lower taxes may benefit a business in the short term, allowing K-12 and higher education to decline could be disastrous for Kansas business down the line.

Not only are good public schools and institutions of higher education a primary factor in attracting a company to a new location, they also provide the skilled workers those businesses need. Where will the employees come from to drive the high-tech economic development envisioned by state leaders? These companies will need university graduates with advanced degrees, but they also will need skilled technicians and other employees trained in strong high school and community college programs. The lack of a high quality work force could strangle the state’s economic development vision.

More Kansas business leaders need to recognize the connection between education and business in the state. They need to see that training the next generation of workers is vital to achieving their business goals. Kansans traditionally have placed a high value on education, but it isn’t just an end in itself, it is the engine that drives the state’s economic future.

Having business leaders across the state place a higher priority on education funding could go a long way toward breaking the legislative deadlock on this issue. It’s time for business to get on board and realize that support for K-12 and higher education is a matter of enlightened self-interest, not altruism.