Senate education committee reviews Kansas State Department of Education budget; special education, school-safety grants and program staffing among top issues

The Kansas Senate Committee on Education met to review the Kansas State Department of Education budget and the substitute for House Bill 2,007, focusing on special education funding, school-safety grants, program staffing needs and several line-item changes.

KLRD fiscal analyst Jennifer Light opened the hearing with an overview of the substitute bill and supporting documents, saying, “In front of you, you have 4 pieces of paper that we've printed off for you today,” and describing the documents she would reference for spending and proposed enhancements.

The budget summary in the substitute for House Bill 2,007 holds total KSDE spending near the agency request—about $6.6 billion—with $4.8 billion from the State General Fund (SGF) for FY2025. Light told senators the substitute bill includes a $10,000,000 SGF addition for special education state aid in fiscal year 2026 but noted that the agency’s three-year plan request and the governor’s larger multi-year proposals were not fully adopted.

Why it matters: agency officials and senators emphasized that small percentage changes in special education aid affect statewide compliance with statutory guidance on excess-cost reimbursement. Dr. Frank Harwood, deputy commissioner for fiscal and administrative services at KSDE, warned of the gap versus the statutory target, stating, “KSA 70 two-thirty four-twenty 2 calls for appropriation at 92% of statewide excess costs for 2025. That's at 75.4%.” Harwood said the net effect of one-time federal funds in FY2025 reduces the continuing SGF increase that carries forward into later years.

Major items discussed

- Special education: Sub for HB 2,007 includes a one-time $10 million SGF addition…