Kansas School for the Blind asks legislature to restore lapsed summer funds, seeks building repairs and early‑childhood startup funding

Amanda Prosser, a fiscal analyst with Legislative Research, told the Senate committee the Kansas School for the Blind is seeking restoration of unspent summer‑school funds and several capital improvements ahead of the fiscal 2026 budget cycle. “I am Amanda Prosser with Legislative Research. I'm going to cover both schools for the blind and school for the deaf,” she said at the committee briefing.

The school is requesting a supplemental of just under $42,000 to restore FY24 funds that lapsed after summer‑school expenditures overlapped fiscal years, Prosser said. The agency also asked that that account be granted reappropriation language in the budget bill so funds can carry forward when summer activities cross fiscal years. The Legislative Budget Committee did not recommend restoration or reappropriation; the governor’s proposal did recommend both items, Prosser said.

Why it matters: the school reported increased demand for its extended‑school‑year programs and preschool services, creating pressure to preserve money for summer programming and to support an expanding early‑childhood program on campus. Kansas State School for the Blind Superintendent John Harding told the committee the agency “is growing,” noting the school…