Topeka ? In a column e-mailed last week to newspapers across the state, the chairwoman of the House Education Committee cited three examples of questionable spending in schools.

On Monday, superintendents at the three school districts, contacted by the Lawrence Journal-World, said the statements made by state Rep. Kathe Decker, a Republican from Clay Center, were either untrue or misleading.

“She has to stop this,” Dodge City Supt. Gloria Davis said of Decker’s comments. “There is not a shred or ounce of truth to these accusations.”

In the piece written by Decker, the legislator criticizes the recent Kansas Supreme Court decision that requires lawmakers to increase school funding by $285 million by July 1. The Legislature will start a special session June 22 to tackle the problem.

Decker goes on to criticize the school lobby for demanding more funds without accountability.

She cites three examples of why lawmakers are skeptical of schools needing more money:

¢ Rumors that in Dodge City, Davis ordered a $20,000 desk, wouldn’t allow lawmakers to see it, and that the district installed a large-screen television in the weight room;

¢ The Salina district installed Astro-Turf on its soccer field;

¢ The Lakin school district in western Kansas purchased a new activities bus for $250,000, and spent $80,000 on computer equipment from its general fund, leaving only $9,000 for any kind of salary increase for teachers.

Davis said the comment about the desk just wasn’t true. She said she worked at a desk that was there when she arrived at the district four years ago. She said it was bolted to the floor and was made by carpenters who work for the district “in order to save money.”

The alleged large-screen TV is really a standard-sized TV that the coaches use to watch video of teams, she said.

“This is a true lack of professionalism,” Davis said of Decker’s comments. “Had she just picked up the phone and checked it out, she would have found out the truth.”

In Salina, the district has installed Astro-Turf at a cost of $520,000 in its stadium, which is used extensively by two high schools and youth leagues for numerous sports, according to Supt. Rob Winter.

Winter said the costs were funded by deferred maintenance savings, getting a contract with a soft-drink company for concessions, and funds raised by a local booster group.

He said the new field would reduce maintenance costs and had already attracted more revenue-producing sports events, such as next year’s 4A football championship game.

“We felt like in the long run this was economically more advisable,” Winter said.

In Lakin, Supt. Randall Steinle said the district bought a used activities bus for $140,000, not $250,000. He said the purchase of the bus and computers came out of the school’s capital outlay budgets, which cannot be used for teacher salaries.

“Her deal that we don’t use money wisely is not accurate,” he said.

Extras money

Contacted about the discrepancies, Decker said she was relying on information that had been conveyed to her by people in each of those districts.

“I tried to be very careful before I put something in the paper,” she said. But, she added, “I probably should have called them, but I did not.”

She said her point was that lawmakers hear from schools that they need more funds, but then they spend money on extras.

But, she said, she would be willing to change her comments if the districts she mentioned showed her their budgets to prove she was wrong.