Kansas State Board advances budget requests, endorses mentor funding and special-education target

The Kansas State Board of Education on July 8 approved a package of budget recommendations and program actions to send to the governor and Legislature, including a recommendation that the state pursue 80% funding of special-education excess costs and a state reimbursement for mentor teachers.

The board voted 8-0-2 to recommend adoption of the consensus estimates for state foundation aid, supplemental state aid (local option budget), capital improvement state aid and capital outlay state aid for fiscal year 2027. Those are technical baseline figures the agency must submit under state law as part of its budget recommendation process.

In one of the most closely watched motions, the board voted unanimously, 10-0, to ask the Legislature to work toward funding special-education excess costs at an 80% target for FY2027. Board discussion leading to that vote centered on multi-year shortfalls in the state's statutory obligation to cover 92% of excess special-education costs and the practical effect on districts' general funds and staffing.

The board also restored a state reimbursement request for mentor teachers, voting unanimously to ask the Legislature for a $1.3 million budget enhancement in FY2027 to reinstate mentor stipends for teachers in their initial licensing years. Board members repeatedly said mentoring resources are a top retention and teacher-quality priority.

Other budget-related requests the board voted to forward include: - A request to cover increased state office rent: the board asked for $148,262 to offset an assessed rent increase for the agency. - A $360,000 request to restore state reimbursement for the $1,000 stipend that school districts are statutorily required to provide National Board-certified teachers. The motion passed unanimously. - A $500,000 request for the State E-Rate infrastructure matching program intended to help districts leverage federal E-Rate broadband funding. - A $7,532 request to cover increased dues to the Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission, which the state must fund to remain a member.

The board also took program-level actions: it approved two route additions to the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program (a graduate-degree route and a youth apprenticeship route) and approved grant awards to participating districts for the apprenticeship program for FY2026; it also approved cut-score recommendations for two teacher-candidate licensure tests (early-childhood foundational knowledge and a social-studies test). The apprenticeship and test-cut-score items passed with recorded votes.

Several other requests discussed by the board '1 including proposals from community organizations seeking state grants for classroom programs '1 were not advanced by the board because members said they would compete with higher-priority systemwide requests for constrained state funds.

The board will deliver the recommended FY2027 requests to the governor and the Legislature. Any funding would require appropriation by the Legislature and signature by the governor.

Votes at a glance (formal motions recorded during the meeting): - Recommend adoption of consensus estimates for foundation/supplemental/capital state aid for FY2027: Passed 8-0-2 (yes 8, no 0, present not voting 2). (Motion: Frank Harwood) - Request Legislature fund special-education excess costs at an 80% target for FY2027: Passed 10-0 (yes 10, no 0). (Motion: Jim Porter) - Request $1,300,000 for Mentor Teacher Program reimbursement for FY2027: Passed 10-0 (yes 10, no 0). (Motion: Jim Porter) - Add graduate-degree route to Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program: Passed 9-0-1. (Motion: Deborah Bremer) - Add youth apprenticeship route to Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program: Passed 9-0-1. (Motion: Deborah Bremer) - Approve grant awards for districts participating in the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program (FY2026): Passed (vote recorded 8-2). (Motion: Deborah Bremer) - Adopt cut scores for teacher-candidate tests (Early Childhood Foundational Knowledge #5534 = 163; Social Studies #5589 = 149): Passed 10-0. (Motion: Jim Porter) - Approve Career & Technical Education cluster and pathway review recommendations: Passed (recorded vote: yes 8, no 1, present not voting 1). (Motion: Melanie Boyle) - Accept Evaluation Review Committee recommendations for provider accreditation and program approvals (Tabor College and programs at Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Haskell Indian Nations U., KSU): Passed 10-0. (Motion: Betty Arnold) - Request $360,000 to reimburse districts for statutorily required National Board-certified teacher stipends for FY2027: Passed 10-0. (Motion: Betty Arnold) - Request $500,000 for E-Rate infrastructure match for FY2027: Passed (recorded vote: yes 8, no 1, present not voting 1). (Motion: Betty Arnold) - Request $7,532 for Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission dues for FY2027: Passed (recorded vote: yes 9). (Motion: Dennis Wilson) - Request $126,000 for board compensation to align state board member pay with legislative pay (FY2027): Passed (recorded vote: yes 8, no 2). (Motion: Kathy Hopkins)

What happens next: The board will include these requests in its formal recommendations to the governor and will present them to the Legislature during the FY2027 budget process. Funding outcomes will depend on the governor's recommendations and the Legislature's appropriation actions.