There appears to be growing support in the state for another round of litigation over Kansas school funding, however, USD 382 has not added its name to the list of districts joining Schools for Fair Funding nor its dollars to the treasury.
Montoy vs. State of Kansas, filed in 1999, eventually led to a Kansas Supreme Court decision that the Legislature was not adequately funding education and approving more than $460 million in new education spending over three years. In the last year, all of the additional money has disappeared, Superintendent Glen Davis said at a Board of Education meeting Monday night.
Even though Davis anticipates another reduction of $200 on the base budget per pupil later this month, for a loss of $367,600 of budgeted revenue, he is “philosophically opposed to litigation.”
“It (filing suit against the state) is a little like suing your parents,” he said this morning, adding, “I have a little struggle with using taxpayer money for litigation.”
On a practical note, he said that current funding reductions were a result of the economy and litigation could not change that.
“I think involvement (in Schools for Fair Funding) would not see any results for a number of years but would take funding out of your pocket,” he concluded.
Member school districts are assessed $2 per full time equivalent enrollment and an additional sum, not to exceed $3 per FTE, if the Montoy case is reopened or if other litigation is pursued. Thirty-six districts, representing 130,000 students, have joined the nonprofit coalition.
The Pratt district can survive the expected $200 reduction by dipping into its $350,000 contingency reserve fund; after that, additional budgetary reductions will be necessary, Davis said.
“It’s bound to impact students; we already have a freeze on supplies unless they’re absolutely necessary,” he said.
Hopes that district coffers could be bolstered by the sale of two properties, a small piece of land on Fifth Street, and the former central office on North Ninnescah, were not realized when no bids were submitted for an expected opening at the Monday meeting. Davis said the next step is to see if the properties can be listed with a real estate agent.
The board ratified a negotiated agreement with Pratt National Education Association that would restore movement on the salary schedule, frozen for 2009-10, when state funding returns to $4316 per FTE, in addition to any other step the teacher is eligible for in that year. The current budget was based on $4218 per FTE, before cuts were made by the state.
In other action, the board:
• rejected service agreements for mechanical systems at Pratt High proposed by DEN Management Co., Inc., of Wichita. Questioning what the district would gain from the $7,000 charge, Davis recommended that district staff perform inspections and routine maintenance.
• approved the addition of a new “American Popular Music” course to replace a guitar course scheduled by Cynthia Aramowicz, who resigned as Pratt High music instructor earlier this year. The new class will fulfill fine arts requirements.
• approved a 3-year contract with Patton, Cramer, LaPrad for an annual audit of district finances.
Assistant Superintendent Suzan Patton noted that Bolen Office Supply had donated 20 boxes of paper to the district.