Invest in education

With revenue so tight in Topeka it hurts, beneficiaries of state funding are inclined to think small in their requests for more dollars, if they even bother to ask. But credit those who govern K-12 and higher education with optimistically making the funding priorities known to the governor and Legislature.

True, fiscal 2017 appropriations already were approved this year, as part of Gov. Sam Brownback’s two-year budgeting process. But needs change, or deepen if approved funding falls short.

Neither the Kansas Board of Regents nor the State Board of Education should let the state’s self-inflicted fiscal crisis dissuade them from doing their job, which includes outlining the funding priorities for education in the state to those who control the money.

In some cases, what they’re asking for isn’t aspirational as much as fundamental.

Last week the regents voted to submit requests to the Governor’s Office for nearly $30 million more for higher ed for fiscal 2017. The top priorities include $2 million to establish a Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at Wichita State University, as well as $5 million for geoscience at Kansas State University, $3.5 million for the integrated science buildings at the University of Kansas and $1.5 million to establish a School of Transportation at Pittsburg State University.

Beyond the top-priority requests, the regents approved seven other items for the governor’s consideration. Those that would benefit Wichita: $9.2 million to support economic, innovation, diversification and technology transfer at WSU; $10 million for innovation equipment at WSU; and $3.5 million to strengthen community-based medical education in Wichita at the KU Medical Center.

Meanwhile, the State Board of Education recently approved budgetary recommendations totaling $223 million for fiscal 2017, including:

•  a 3 percent increase in block-grant funding, which would total $104 million.

•  funding to phase in all-day kindergarten statewide over five years, which would cost about $19 million per year.

•  $90.7 million for special education, $3 million for teacher mentoring and $700,000 for technical education transportation.

•  $460,000 more for parent education and some restored funding for the Communities in Schools, Agriculture in the Classroom and environmental education programs.

With Kansas’ revenues still struggling to meet monthly projections, funding the 2016 and 2017 budgets as passed will be hard enough. And the state’s conservative Legislature and governor aren’t looking to spend more on anything, after having raised sales and other taxes in June to bridge a huge budget gap. With multiple lawsuits underway, the legislative and executive branches are in defense mode on block grants and other K-12 spending.

But the regents and state school board are right to let it be known where and how the state ought to be investing more in education. A state that ceases to move forward in how it prepares students risks standing still economically.

For the editorial board, Rhonda Holman

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Invest in education."