Topeka ? State Democratic Party Chairwoman Joan Wagnon on Thursday urged Kansans to contact their legislators and tell them to properly fund schools.

“Governor Brownback and the House leadership are shortchanging our schools, and it’s time to stop,” Wagnon said at a news conference.

Brownback, a Republican, and the Republican-dominated Legislature have proposed cuts to schools and other areas, saying they are required to balance the budget without raising taxes.

Under Brownback’s budget proposal, base state aid to schools would fall to $3,780 per student, the lowest amount since the 1990s. A House budget plan would decrease that amount even more. Before the Great Recession kicked in, base state aid was $4,400 per student.

Wagnon, a former secretary of revenue and legislator, said the Legislature should devise a long-term strategy to cut some business tax credits and get rid of some sales tax exemptions.

“We can’t just keep cutting taxes and cutting schools,” she said.