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Gov. Brownback Calls On Lawmakers To Provide Full Aid To School Districts In Need

Governor Sam Brownback says legislators should fully fund aid to poor school districts and significantly increase state spending on public education.

Governor Brownback issued a statement yesterday outlining his principles in response to a recent Kansas Supreme Court decision in an education funding lawsuit.

The high court ruled earlier this month that past cuts in aid to poor districts left unconstitutional gaps between them and wealthier districts.

The Department of Education has estimated that fully reversing those cuts would cost $129 million dollars a year.

The governor's statement did not include a figure for new spending, but said only that solving school funding issues will require "significant" spending.

He said school boards should be given the opportunity to send additional funding to the classroom to help their students succeed...if they're given the necessary authority to do so and maintain equity.

When she's not out making lattes in her mobile coffee bus Sunflower Espresso, Kate Hutchens is a fill-in host for KMUW. She has worked in broadcast journalism at KFDI, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and at KMUW as Morning Edition host, which she did until March 2017.
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