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Kan. Board, Lawmakers Meet For Talk On Schools

Kansas legislators and the State Board of Education met Wednesday to discuss the status of public education, and to find common ground.

The Statehouse meeting included the 10-member state board and members of the House and Senate education committees.

Most of the discussion focused on how Kansas can spend education dollars more efficiently while also boosting student achievement.

Kansas spends more than $3 billion dollars annually on K-12 education.

Legislators say while the state's costs have increased in the past decade, student achievement hasn't grown at the same rate.

For example, Sen. Jeff Melcher, a Leawood Republican, says school districts need to move away from salary schedules for paying teachers based on years of service and education levels.

Instead, he wants to see pay geared toward rewarding those who demonstrate an ability to improve student achievement on state and national tests.

Board members agree more can be done to keep costs down working with legislators and local districts.

Board members and legislators will continue to meet and discuss education needs.