Topeka — Some school districts are having difficulty making payroll because of budget cuts and delayed payments from the state, Deputy Education Commissioner Dale Dennis said Tuesday.
He said he has not seen schools in such dire financial shape since he started working for the state 42 years ago.
“School people are about as stressed as I’ve seen them,” Dennis said.
He said the Division of Budget is working with at least 7 schools districts on forwarding enough money to them to make payroll before Christmas.
“The cash flow for them is extremely crucial,” he said.
Those districts he identified were Ashland, Hugoton, Buhler, Wellington, Skyline, Hays and Haven. They will require about $2.2 million to pay employees.
More districts are in technical violation of the state’s cash-basis law because they are paying bills with monies from funds not related to those expenses, Dennis said. He didn’t identify which districts were in that situation.
The cause of the problems? The state budget crisis.
State leaders have cut school funding by $301.5 million this year. In addition to the cuts, the state has delayed several major payments to schools to prop up the sagging budget.
Here are some details:
• A $206 million payment to schools due Nov. 1 was paid in two installments — on Nov. 6 and Dec. 2.
• A $196 million payment to schools that was due Dec. 1 won’t be paid in full until Dec. 30.
• A $75 million payment from the state to schools for special education that is due Dec. 15 won’t be paid until January.
The cuts and delays have some school advocates hoping for some kind of tax increase when the Legislature starts its 2010 session on Jan. 11.
The most-often discussed proposal includes wiping away some sales tax exemptions.
But State Board of Education member Ken Willard, R-Hutchinson, said raising taxes would further hurt the economy.
“Everybody is in tough times,” he said.
Education Board member Walt Chappell, D-Wichita, said schools received tremendous increases because of the 2005 Kansas Supreme Court decision that ordered more funding. He said some of the positions created since that ruling should be cut.
But Education Board member Sally Cauble, R-Liberal, said she has heard from many people who say they will support a tax increase to help schools. She said most people she has spoken with are angry with legislators for failing to have a long-range plan on funding state government.
Comments
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sierraclub (anonymous) says…
Maybe they should start with cutting some of those high salaries that the earn. Not the teachers, they are doing the most work and make the least. If a person earns over $85k, cut them 30%, over $60K, cut them 20%. Over $40K, cut them 10%. Hey, a pay cut is better than no job at all.
texburgh (anonymous) says…
House Speaker Mike O'Neal is salivating with anticipation of school teachers and other school employees not getting a full paycheck. It has been his dream to drive public education to the lowest level of funding ever since the Supreme Court ignored him and ruled in favor of public education. This is his dream come true.
He despises school teachers - especially union school teachers - because they stand up for a quality education for every child. O'Neal is happy to leave a whole generation in the dust.
And then there's Kevin Yoder. Remember him? He was Democrat at KU when it meant he could get ahead here. Then he moved to Johnson County and suddenly he's a moderate Republican because that's how he could get elected. Once in office he becomes a conservative anti-government Republican because that's the only way to get to be a committee chairman. For him, it's all about Kevin wanting Kevin to be a big shot. He has no moral compass at all. I guess that's why he thinks he'll make a good congressman.
commuter (anonymous) says…
Textburg- You forgot that the unions are designed to produce mediocracy bewteen the teachers. I am disappointed there is no merit pay for teachers. I am pissed off that great teachers don't get paid like great teachers, good teachers don't get paid like good teachers and bad teachers do not get paid like bad teachers. the unions create the problem.
Thankfully I work for a company that rewards employees based on merit. Maybe one day the LEA will wake up and smell that they are only hurting their members and protecting a few deadbeats.
Wow21 (anonymous) says…
It's tough when members of the state board are calling for more cuts. The kids of Kansas thank you Willard and Chappell, with friends like you two who needs enemies. We cut and cut to the point schools are slashing programs that help children and they can't even guarantee paychecks to teachers. How much is enough? Remember to thank your wonderful legislators for this early Christmas present teachers. What an absolute joke.
sherlock (anonymous) says…
why in the world doesnt the state change the formula for the capital outlay money for schools? They seem to have money to burn to purchase land etc. Some school districts cant spend it fast enough. Yet they never have enough to pay the teachers and keep up other activities that come out of another fund! Just change and transfer more over to the actual running of the schools. Isnt academics more important than having so many buildings or taj mahals?Yet the taxpayers still have to pay off the school bonds in our real estate tax. It seems we can build the schools with taxpayers money, but we cant maintain them or staff them adequately!!!! Something is wrong with this!
anon1958 (anonymous) says…
The people of Kansas want to receive the benefits of living in the 21st century while paying taxes as if it were the 19th century. There is a name for places that do not properly support public education, public health or public safety.
They are called third world nations and Kansas is well on its way to that status.
toe (anonymous) says…
Over many years of horrible spending and over taxation, the few taxpaying members of the public has become deaf to pleas for more money.
lristh1230 (anonymous) says…
I am surprised the school district hasn't announced that they have spent 2 million on their own snow plows just to keep the schools up and running :)
Made_in_China (Paul R. Getto) says…
"House Speaker Mike O'Neal is salivating with anticipation of school teachers and other school employees not getting a full paycheck. It has been his dream to drive public education to the lowest level of funding ever since the Supreme Court ignored him and ruled in favor of public education. This is his dream come true." === A bit harsh, but pretty close to the truth. This manufactured crisis is brought to you by those who continue to starve government so they can say it is not functional. We, the brave 10% of the property tax payers, are supporting the state with our efforts as we continue to pay taxes. August primaries will tell the tale. If the 'tax cutters' get elected or reelected, the state will see budget cuts for years to come. Since 80%+ of the budget is education and social services, these two areas will see the most cuts. An interesting legislative session this will be. Right now, legislators are more afraid of the "if taxes go up I'll leave the state or shut down my business/lose my farm, etc. types" than they are of the "we need a rational approach to government based on the public's needs and what they will pay for" and (by the way, quit letting all your powerful friends be taken off the tax rolls) crowd. We may be near a tipping point, but remember, the antigovernment crowd is more organized and funded by the billionaires who already have what they need in life.
commuter (anonymous) says…
You must remember when working for a government entity- use all of your budget or next year it will be cut.
There is no room for innovation and doing things better if they save money.
Truth (anonymous) says…
Thing,
Do your brother and wife loathe their salaries and health insurance benefits that their union has negotiated for them?
Commuter,
How should teachers be slotted into the categories you described? Who would decide who would receive "great teacher" pay, "average teacher" pay, or "poor teacher" pay?
Truth (anonymous) says…
America's education system as a whole is treating students like widgets. Teachers feel pressure to meet ever-increasing standards set by NCLB. The result is a narrowing of the curriculum. As test scores in a district increase, it would behoove district patrons to question the quality of their students' education. At what price are test scores increasing? How much time is being devoted to teaching items on a standardized test for the sake of increasing assessment scores? Chevy Cobalts running down the assembly line? Interesting analogy. Teacher unions are to blame in the sense they have not stood up and denounced the negative effects of inordinate amount of assessments.
kugrad (anonymous) says…
Most of these districts are low on money because the State of Kansas isn't paying them the taxpayer funds they promised to pay them on time. In other words, the districts would be able to pay their bills if the State paid theirs.
On the radio this morning, a State rep. was talking about giving an "advance" to districts who don't have enough money due to the State paying only 1/2 of the Dec. 1st payment to districts! Ridiculous!
In practice, the State often pays late, very late, and then only provides partial payments to districts. There is no excuse for this, no rational reason. It creates chaos throughout the state. If I pay my bills late, there are consequences. The consequences of the state not paying on time are the subject of this article.
KSManimal (anonymous) says…
"85K to the first poster is a high salary? Please. It's damn near impossible to raise a 1-child family on 85K."
Cold: You're right, it's hard to raise a family on $85K. In Lawrence, a teacher with a Master's Degree and 10 years' experience earns roughly HALF that amount ($43,630).
commuter (anonymous) says…
Truth- how does your employer do your raises? we spend a lot of time reviewing all employees. trust me, at times I would rather have a scale and viola, there is your new pay. but at least people and their merits get some attention.
not the best system but so far it has worked for my company.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
cold if you can't raise one kid on 85k you need to sit down and rethink lifestyle.
merrill (anonymous) says…
Kansas has two republican tax cutters running for office although one suddenly became a democrat. Too bad because a primary between Wiggans and Brownback would have been interesting.
Neither are strangers to Capitol Hill.....
lristh1230 (anonymous) says…
Sorry if this sounds rude but if you have a Master's degree or doctorate and you are teaching elementary and complaining get over it. You shouldn't be teaching elementary level and that should be a requirement not to hire with masters degree for that level only in high school or college!!
Centerville (anonymous) says…
Kansas school districts have a total of $1.2 billion in 'unenbumbered' funds stashed in their accounts. And the rest of us have run out of tiny violins.
Valkyrie_of_Reason (Kathy Getto) says…
Centerville: those funds are already committed, most likely limited to non-operating costs. A constitutional amendment would be needed to spend those funds for general operations. Saying that districts have "extra cash" is like looking at your bank balance after payday, ignoring the bills you must pay, and spending the money on something else. This is the same ignorant thinking that has our state and nation in this fine, fine mess.
Godot (anonymous) says…
There is no justification for maintaining over 200 school districts in a state with a population just over 2 million people. It is time to change this situation.
Amend the Kansas constitution to bring it in line with reality and decimate the number of school districts. Decimate means to reduce by a factor of 10. I think 20 school districts is plenty.
Valkyrie_of_Reason (Kathy Getto) says…
And when the legislature continues to reduce the per pupil payment as they have done, reducing the number of districts is going to solve what exactly?
BTW your definition is a bit off - take note of the terms, destroy and kill, exactly what our legislature has been trying to do to public eduation for years.
Main Entry: dec·i·mate
Pronunciation: \ˈde-sə-ˌmāt\
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): dec·i·mat·ed; dec·i·mat·ing
Etymology: Latin decimatus, past participle of decimare, from decimus tenth, from decem ten
Date: 1660
1 : to select by lot and kill every tenth man of
2 : to exact a tax of 10 percent from
3 a : to reduce drastically especially in number b : to cause great destruction or harm to