John Allison: Classrooms are focus of spending now

Successful public schools are vital to the economic future of our state. As the Kansas State Board of Education’s new mission statement emphasizes, all Kansans have a role to play in the success of our students. “We need to put students first” (“Shift resources to instruction,” Oct. 23 Opinion) is a fundamental belief supported by education advocates, regardless of philosophy or political alignment.

Because we all play a vital role in helping Kansas children realize the American dream, it is essential to be informed on matters related to education funding. A starting place would be to find agreement on how much money Kansas schools spend on instruction.

I’ve taken this conversation to business groups and parents over the past several months. They’ve heard the comment that schools are not getting enough money into classrooms. And they are surprised to understand the narrow definition of instruction that excludes many critical school and classroom expenditures.

When asked what kind of expenditures should be required to operate an effective school, the obvious answers include teachers, paraprofessionals, classroom supplies, classroom technology and textbooks. All of these are included in the narrow definition of “instruction.”

Essential elements outside of “instruction” are also quickly listed, including counselors, nurses, school principals, electricity, water, transportation and food service. Business leaders tell me that core operational costs are essential expenditures to support students, classrooms and families, and to provide a safe, effective learning environment.

Schools are acutely focused on maximizing dollars invested “in the classroom or for instruction.” The Wichita school district spends 88.1 percent of our operating dollars in direct support of students and schools, and 88.3 percent of our staff members are devoted to these same essential priorities.

There is always room for conversation about how schools can become more efficient. That conversation has been ongoing in Wichita since I arrived six years ago. I’m proud to share examples of strategies we’ve used to maximize dollars devoted to instruction and other mission-critical classroom and school expenditures.

Our mission is to give our diverse tapestry of students the foundational skills to be successful in jobs that don’t yet exist. Our dollars and our people are focused to support this critical purpose.

Please accept my invitation to join us during American Education Week, Nov. 16-20, and visit “Five Schools in Five Days” to see firsthand how we are delivering on our promise to put students first. Learn more at www.usd259.org.

This story was originally published November 7, 2015 at 6:02 PM with the headline "John Allison: Classrooms are focus of spending now."