Kansas students could enroll in any school district under bill headed to Kelly’s desk
Kansas students could enroll in any public district in the state that has room for them, regardless of where they live, under a policy headed to the governor’s desk.
Kansas lawmakers passed a school funding bill Thursday that provides money for K-12 schools according to the formula approved by the Kansas Supreme Court. It increases funding for virtual students. And it requires that school districts with space allow out-of-district students to enroll.
The bill did not include $30 million in additional funds for special education requested by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
“This agreement exceeds our constitutional funding for Gannon,” Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican, said, referring to the Supreme Court case over school funding. “The bill is about upholding our constitutional obligation including upholding funding that is focused on student achievement.”
The bill passed the Senate with 24 votes and the House with 75 votes, short of a veto-proof majority. Kelly has not said whether she’ll sign it.
Kansas schools currently have discretion over whether to admit out-of-district students. Under the proposal lawmakers passed Thursday, districts would be required to develop policy for determining capacity and allowing out-of-district students to enroll.
Districts at capacity would not have to take out-of district students
Proponents students and families will have flexibility if their current school isn’t meeting their needs. The change doesn’t go nearly as far as other “school choice” policies Kansas lawmakers have considered in recent years, including establishing educational savings accounts that could be spent on private schools.
“I have always known if you are not competing at the top of your game you’re probably not winning that game,” Sen. Jeff Longbine, an Emporia Republican, said. “My hope is that those districts that maybe aren’t excelling … maybe they’ll step up their game a little bit to keep customers.”
Longbine has objected to educational savings accounts and other voucher-like programs in the past.
Democrats, however, said open enrollment could lead to segregation as families move away from districts with less funding. It could cause problems for schools that can’t plan for the additional needs of students who may be transferring in.
“What we should be doing is working to fund the schools toward adequacy and equity,” Sen. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park Democrat, said.
Several Johnson County school leaders have opposed the open enrollment proposal, arguing that the requirement encroaches on local control.
De Soto Superintendent Frank Harwood, for example, previously argued that the bill could have consequences for districts like his that already grapple with crowded class sizes and other logistical challenges as enrollment grows throughout the school year.
Both the Blue Valley and Olathe superintendents also opposed the bill, saying that their districts are “among the highest-performing districts in Kansas - indeed competing nationally - and, as such, would find our districts overwhelmed with requests from non-residents. Without intending to sound elitist, it is nonetheless true that housing costs in our districts often provide a check on resident student growth now.”
“Another big area of concern is that we are certain to get a rush of special education students, as we already get inquiries almost daily from non-resident parents trying to enroll as both of our districts have a reputation of offering superior special education services,” the superintendents wrote. “It’s worth noting that the district only receives about 65% of our total costs for these students. Trying to cover those outside our district would be certain to outspend our resources.”
If signed by Kelly, the policy would go into effect for the 2024-2025 school year.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 6:11 PM.
