Kansas education officials brief House panel on FTE counts, funding sources and hiring rules

Kansas State Department of Education officials outlined how the agency counts staff, budgets positions and uses federal and state funds during a Committee on K-12 Education Budget hearing.

Deputy Commissioner Frank Harwood and John Hess, director of fiscal services and operations, told the committee that KSDE’s FTE total counts only permanent full- and part-time positions and excludes temporary positions used for short-term training or other intermittent work. Hess said "1 FTE is considered 2,080 hours a fiscal year," and explained that temporary workers and elected state board members are not included in the FTE headcount.

The officials said those counting rules matter because KSDE budgets assume a level of vacancy called "shrinkage." Hess told the committee that for fiscal year 2025 the cost to fill all SGF positions would have been roughly $12.8 million, while the budgeted salaries and wages were $11.8 million — "a shrinkage of $1,013,570 for the year or 7.9%." He said the budget relies on that assumed vacancy rate to avoid running out of operating funds if positions are not filled the entire year.

The testimony described how positions are created and funded. Harwood said KSDE uses an internal approval form that requires sign-off by human resources, fiscal services, the deputy commissioners and the commissioner; the State Board of Education later confirms personnel appointments on its monthly consent agenda. Harwood emphasized that the State Board is an independent appointing authority and can create positions without the governor’s approval, saying the board "has that separate constitutional authority to create those positions."

Hess gave examples of how a single position can be funded from multiple sources and thus show up in different budget programs. He described a communications specialist funded 75% from the State General Fund (SGF) and 25% from a USDA child nutrition administrative grant, and an application developer with multiple funding codes split among SGF, USDA and IDEA administrative grant funds. Hess told legislators that for fiscal year 2025 KSDE budgeted about $10.6 million in federal funds for salaries and wages and roughly $11 million from the SGF, noting that many positions have a mix of funding codes.

Committee members pressed officials on several practical issues. Representatives asked how long temporary positions can last and how many exist; Harwood said many temporary positions are part-time teachers hired for training and are often budgeted at 0.1 FTE, and that the department would need to check for an exact head count. Members also asked about classified versus unclassified service; Harwood explained that state law gives classified employees additional disciplinary protections and that most new positions must be unclassified under rules adopted about 2015.

Lawmakers raised concerns about hiring processes and federal compliance. One member noted a federal prohibition on basing hiring on DEI preferences; Harwood replied that KSDE "strive[s] to be in compliance with both state and federal rules and regulations" and said the HR director would be the appropriate person to detail recruitment procedures.

The committee also discussed remote-work policy and field staffing. Harwood described an agency policy allowing remote work one day per week with director approval and said many KSDE auditors and field staff are assigned to home locations or travel to districts. Hess said some teams cannot work remotely because their processes remain paper-based for voucher and payment processing.

On budget changes, Harwood said the House-passed budget reflected the agency’s submitted FTE count of 270.9 and that a proposed 1.5% across-the-board operating reduction would force the agency to decide where to take cuts. He added that vacant FTEs are commonly reviewed each summer and that KSDE routinely deletes a few vacant positions annually. The officials noted that time-limited federal grants (ESSER/ARPA/pandemic relief) fund some positions through fiscal year 2026, with some grant-funded work winding down thereafter.

Representatives repeatedly requested clearer line-item information and org charts. Several lawmakers said more granular numbers — by program and by position — would help appropriators evaluate new funding or position requests. Harwood and Hess said they can provide spreadsheets and additional documentation, and Hess noted that KSDE’s full budget submission includes detailed lists of new positions, deletions and funding codes.

The committee scheduled continued review. Harwood and Hess closed by noting that the committee would resume related discussions, including a planned 50-state comparison the next day.

Ending: The hearing provided legislators with technical detail about how KSDE counts and funds staff and highlighted points where lawmakers said they want more precise, line-by-line information before making appropriation decisions.