Kansas education board backs broad budget requests, urges phased restoration of special‑education funding

The Kansas State Board of Education voted July 14 to send a slate of budget recommendations to the governor that would expand state support for schools on several fronts, and urged a multi‑year plan to reduce the state’s special‑education funding shortfall.

The board asked the governor’s office to phase in increased special‑education funding over four years to move toward the statutory target, saying an incremental approach would signal the state’s priority while giving the legislature time to appropriate the funds. "If we don't ask for adequate funding for special education, we are taking away from general education," said board member Betty (board member identification in transcript), arguing the board should press for full funding rather than remain silent.

KSDE director of budget John Hess presented the agency’s estimates and walked the board through major state‑aid categories (foundation aid, local option/supplemental aid, capital improvement and capital outlay). He said current law is built into the fiscal‑year 2028 base estimates but that some program pots have declined relative to need. "If the statute stays the same, [special‑education] will continue to go down," he said, noting the constrained $528 million pot that underlies several special‑education reimbursements.

On separate enhancement requests the board approved — by recorded votes in the meeting — a range of targeted asks: a $600,000 boost for career and technical education (CTE) transportation; a $2.3 million restoration of mentor‑teacher stipends (with a phased approach discussed for full funding); a phased‑in increase for professional development; a $7.5 million restoration for Safe and Secure Schools grants; a $500,000 E‑Rate match request; $95,920 to sustain E‑Rate administrative support; and a $10 million request intended to cover the universal reading screener required by recent state statute. Several of those measures passed unanimously or by large margins in the board vote that followed staff presentations.

Board members debated the tradeoffs throughout the two‑hour budget block. Some members urged caution about asking for large amounts without stronger assurances about controls and allocation; others said the board has an obligation to recommend needed funding so the legislature and any task forces know the board’s priorities. "Let's go with what we did last year, request the phase in," said one member, urging a practical path that still signals the board’s priorities.

KSDE said all enhancement requests will be compiled into the formal budget narrative that is submitted to the governor’s office; the agency also noted that recommendations can be carried into the board’s legislative priorities for the fall if members want additional advocacy.

The board’s recommendation package will be transmitted to the governor and the Division of the Budget for consideration during the fall budget cycle.

Next step: the governor’s office, legislators and the Division of the Budget will weigh the requests during the FY2028 budget process, and KSDE staff said revised consensus estimates will be available in November.