State officials need to remember what the school finance debate is really about.

The story of a young Lawrence teacher who has decided to leave Kansas and pursue a different career should be on the minds of Kansas legislators this week as they consider increased funding for Kansas schools.

A story in Thursday’s Journal-World reported that 92 teachers had notified the Lawrence district they would not be back in their classrooms next year. Of those, 31 had chosen to retire and 14 said they were headed to jobs in other Kansas districts.

Thirty-nine cited personal or professional reasons for their departure. Specifics on those reasons weren’t made available, but salary probably ranked high on the list. Low morale along with the feeling they don’t have enough input on school or district decisions also may be a factor. Low pay, little control; it all adds up to a general lack of respect for the job teachers do.

The J-W story also focused on a 27-year-old who was one of two Lawrence teachers who specifically said they intended to leave the field of teaching. After four years of teaching in Lawrence, she plans to move to California and pursue another career.

She had dreamed of being a teacher since she was a child. Her first year in the classroom, she was excited to stay late and plan extra activities. At the end of her first year, she was caught in a round of layoffs triggered by state budget cuts. She was reinstated and at the end of her second year was one of 23 new educators statewide to win the Horizon Award. At the end of that year, she was laid off again.

She was rehired again, but on a salary of $27,000 a year, she found it hard to support herself, let alone keep up with friends her age in other fields. It’s hard to keep up your enthusiasm for a job when you are laid off two years in a row in spite of earning statewide honors in your profession. Even though the Lawrence district doesn’t expect significant layoffs this year, the last couple of years have taken a toll on morale.

Both the governor and legislators have said they place top priority on additional state funding finding its way into the classroom where it will directly affect teachers and students. Smaller class sizes, especially in primary grades, and increased teacher salaries are among the targets that have been mentioned, along with requirements to make districts accountable for how they spend state funds.

The special legislative session starts Wednesday with many agendas in play. The governor has endorsed increased gambling to raise revenue for state education. Senate Republicans have formulated a plan that tries to justify property tax relief as an investment in public schools. One group of state legislators still is determined to defy the Kansas Supreme Court’s order to approve an additional $143 million for Kansas schools.

Amid all the political posturing, state officials should remember the story of a state-honored, 27-year-old teacher who decided to leave her dream career and her students behind because the state didn’t give her and other teachers the professional respect and compensation they deserve.