Wow, is it that time already?

For Lawrence youngsters, summer is over. No more vacations; no more lazy afternoons at the pool. Today is the first day of classes for elementary students. Middle school and high school students head back to class on Thursday. New classes, new teachers and new friends make this an exciting time for students and their families.

It’s a whole new year, but a number of old arguments still are playing out on the state education scene. Legislation that responded to a Kansas Supreme Court order to equalize education funding across the state resulted in a boost in funding for public schools. In Lawrence, the new school finance formula resulted in a property tax reduction of about 1.6 mills, but it also changed the way the state funds virtual schools, which will have an adverse impact on the local district.

Another part of the school funding bill also is the subject of a lawsuit filed Monday by the Kansas National Education Association. The bill removed due process rights for K-12 teachers across the state. Although lawmakers say the action simply returned that decision to the local district level, teachers don’t see it that way and are going to court to seek the return of the right to a due process hearing for any tenured teacher who faces dismissal.

While students are in class this fall, state education funding will be a matter of spirited political debate. The results of recent primary elections likely ensure that the Kansas State Board of Education will continue to be controlled by a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans, but education funding already is a major focus of the Kansas governor’s race and some legislative races. A new K-12 Student Performance and Efficiency Commission — another creation of the school finance legislation — also will be studying how state school funds can be spent more effectively and preparing to report its findings at the beginning of the next legislative session.

We hope Lawrence schools will fly above the politics and continue to provide the outstanding educational opportunity for which they are known. We also urge the community to support local schools through volunteering and donations either to individual schools or through the effective Lawrence Schools Foundation.

It seems like it was a short summer, but it’s back-to-school time for students, parents, teachers, taxpayers and state lawmakers — all focused on performing well in their various roles in this important business called education. Have a great year!