Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate panel reviews KSDE budget requests, reappropriations and E‑rate funding shortfall
Summary
KLRD and KSDE testified on FY2026–27 education spending: agency sought $6.7B ($5.0B SGF); legislative and governor plans show $6.6B ($4.9B SGF). Testimony highlighted $36.4M reappropriations, special-education enhancement requests, two E-rate funding gaps, and several reinstated programs.
The Senate Education Committee heard a detailed overview of the Kansas State Department of Education budget, with KLRD fiscal analyst Jennifer Light and KSDE Deputy Commissioner Dr. Harwood outlining the agency's FY2026 request and proposed FY2027 enhancements. The agency requested $6.7 billion in all funds, including $5.0 billion from the state general fund (SGF); the legislative bill and the governor recommended about $6.6 billion and $4.9 billion SGF.
The hearing focused on reappropriations and enhancement requests that were pulled from the legislative bill but appear in the governor's recommendation. Jennifer Light told the committee that reappropriations total $36,400,000, largely in state foundation funds, and noted one item not included in the legislative bill: a $588,000 reappropriation for school-district juvenile detention facilities. "The governor does recommend those reappropriations go in," she said, and she added that the agency intends to use some reappropriated funds for a youth career discovery pilot and the state's 10% match for the E-rate program.
KSDE Dep…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
