ACTION ALERT: Two Bills/One Phone Call to Senate Ways and Means Committee.

• Call Dee Heideman, Committee Assistant at
• 785-296-3775 and ask that your voice be shared with the committee chair:
• Oppose SB305 and
• Support SB277

Here are the details:

SB305 Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

Take from Capital Improvement Funds to Pay for Classroom Instruction. This bill takes state money from capital improvement state aid (bricks and mortar) and shifts it to the supplemental general state aid (operational budget for classroom instruction).  Essentially this bill would create a new problem to resolve an existing one. Although this bill never made it out of committee, it was given special blessing and referred to the exempt Senate Ways and Means Committee.  Hearing: this morning, Wed, March 5, 10:30 am.

SB277 Cutting Local Districts' Ability to Fund Public Schools 

Funding Levels for Local Budget Authority with Equalization. The bill would extend funding the local option authority with state equalization at $4,433 per pupil thru 2019. Current calculation rate is set to expire June 30, 2014 and drop to the current base state aid rate of $3,838, which is a cut of $595 per student.  Districts could lose millions. This bill was introduced in the exempt Senate Ways and Means committee Jan 2014. Hearing: scheduled Wed, March 5 at 10:30 am. MainStream submitted testimony in opposition to SB305 and in support of SB277. We must ensure our State's ability to provide suitable provision for public education.

If you prefer to email the Senate Ways & Means Committee: 

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