The Kansas Legislature's audit team has postponed all of its planned investigations for the rest of the year to focus on a six-month study on the cost of education.
The Division of Post Audit is trying to determine how much it costs the state to educate a child - findings that will be critical to lawmakers under court order to increase school funding.
To complete the education audit, the division has postponed planned audits of credit union regulations and the use of federal Homeland Security money and said no other investigations will be done.
Auditors are analyzing enrollment data and budget figures to determine how the state's 300 school districts spend their money.
The state Supreme Court ruling that ordered increased education funding is expected to dominate the next legislative session, which begins in January.
Some lawmakers are upset that auditors have to focus solely on education, especially because the state has already studied education finance.
"It's bothered me from day one," said Sen. Chris Steineger, a Kansas City, Kan., Democrat who sits on the Post Audit Committee.
"Legislative Post Audit has done a great job over the years in helping us find fraud, waste and abuse of tax dollars. I don't think they're going to find anything new by looking at the schools."
Post Audit director Barb Hinton said those studies required all her resources and would last until the end of the year.
Auditors will review five years of budget information from school districts, graduation rates, teacher salaries, student performance tests, administration costs and a variety of other education components.
Post Audit Committee Chairman John Edmonds, R-Great Bend, said education is simply the most pressing state issue.
"Where does an 800-pound gorilla sit? Anywhere it wants to," Edmonds said. "We do the work we have to do, and right now, this is what we have to do."
Post Audit has 21 full-time employees and a budget of just more than $2 million, though Hinton asked for more employees after the education audits were ordered.
School Finance
More about school finance
- Webcast of live arguments before the Kansas Supreme Court (requires Windows Media Player)
- Brief of the Montoy suit (.pdf)
- Timeline of events in school finance lawsuit
- 6News video: School finance bill to face court
- Plaintiffs: School finance bill fails grade (06-13-06)
- State wants high court to dismiss school suit (06-02-06)
- Legislature approves school finance plan (05-10-06)
- Chat with Bob Corkins, Kansas Education Commissioner (02-02-06)
- House roll call on $148.4 million school finance plan (07-07-05)
- Supt. Weseman's contingency plan (07-06-05)
- More about school finance »
Related documents
- Conference Committee on Senate Bill 549
- House bill info
- Senate bill info
- Kansas public schools cost study
- Kansas public schools cost study executive summary
- Public Education Finances 2004 (.pdf)
- Senate roll call on $148.4 million school finance plan
- Supreme Court's Show Cause Order (07-02-05)
- Supreme Court's Order Denying Extension (.pdf)
- Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1603 (.pdf)
- Supplemental Note on Resolution No. 1603 (.pdf)
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