EUDORA, Kan. — Kansas Governor Sam Brownback plans to cut $28 million in aid to public schools from the current budget due to a January revenue shortfall.
Gov. Brownback pointed to a pricey piano purchase at Summer Academy in Kansas City, Kan. in making his announcement. The piano costs $47,000 dollars.
There are only four months left in the school year. While students learn, a budget war rages on in Topeka.
“There’s no one who can look at that and can be happy,” said Eudora Schools Superintendent Steve Splichal.
That’s the resounding answer from superintendents across the board. Splichal faces an $81,000 cut.
“It’s going to affect our programs, services. That’s going to immediately affect our classrooms and our staff,” he said.
Blue Valley Superintendent Tom Trigg, who’s lost $1.2 million to the cut, intends to dip into reserve funds to fill the budget hole. He says that also means cutting back on programs, utilities, and even school supplies.
“We will do everything we can to keep cuts away from classroom for the remainder of the school year,” said Trigg.
The cuts will take effect March 7. Both superintendents say it’s not a viable plan to rely on the reserve bank. Gov. Brownback says schools received more state funding this year than last, but superintendents say it’s still a scramble since they’ve used much of the budget already expecting to receive more state funding.
