Funds for Kansas schools tied to GOP right s choice plan
JOHN HANNA, AP Political Writer
April 7, 2021
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1of5FILE - In this Wednesday, March 31, 2021, file photo, students wait to enter Wyandotte County High School in Kansas City, Kan., on the first day of in-person learning. Conservative GOP lawmakers in Kansas are pushing a proposal to allow parents to use state dollars to pay for private schooling for children who are struggling in public schools.Charlie Riedel/APShow MoreShow Less
2of5Kansas state Sens. Molly Baumgardner, left, R-Louisburg, and Renee Erickson, right, R-Wichita, confer with Rep. Kristey Williams, center, R-Augusta, after a session of negotiations on education policy, Tuesday, April 6, 2021, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Conservative GOP lawmakers are pushing to allow parents of students struggling in public schools to use state dollars to move them to private schools.John Hanna/APShow MoreShow Less
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John Hanna, Associated Press
photo by: John Hanna/AP Photo
Kansas state Sens. Molly Baumgardner, left, R-Louisburg, and Renee Erickson, right, R-Wichita, confer with Rep. Kristey Williams, center, R-Augusta, after a session of negotiations on education policy, Tuesday, April 6, 2021, at the Statehouse in Topeka.
TOPEKA Conservative Republican lawmakers on Wednesday tied funding for Kansas’ public schools to a proposal that would allow parents of academically struggling students to use state dollars to pay for private schooling.
Republican negotiators for the state House and Senate drafted the final version of legislation that would set up education savings accounts for students who are at risk of failing in public schools, using tax dollars normally earmarked for those schools. Parents could use the state funds to cover a wide range of educational expenses to help their children, including tuition at private schools.
Nickerson will start interviewing for new superintendent early next week
Nickerson-South Hutchinson Schools held their board meeting on Monday evening at the district office. During the meeting, the board discussed plans for the search of the new superintendent, students failing due to COVID-19 issues and upcoming assessments.
All applications for the superintendent were due by April 2 and were screened by the Kansas Association of School Boards. KASB will present their findings to the Nickerson-South Hutchinson School Board on April 7, during a closed board meeting.
Interviews for the superintendent position could begin as early as Thursday and will most likely take place on either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday next week. The district is not sure how many candidates they will interview.
Faced with an expected drop of 720 students over the next three years, Topeka Unified School District 501 is looking to make budget cuts as a key revenue source shrinks. One of the first in a planned series of cuts is rethinking the district s physical footprint.
The Topeka Board of Education on Thursday took the first step to close the Avondale Academy at 3229 S.W. Westview. The program would instead move its handful of students over to space near Capital City High School under the district s proposal. The board can t formally close the school building until notice of a hearing on the closure is published.