With budgets wallowing in economic doldrums, school districts statewide are battling a legislature that has failed to fully fund education despite a 2006 Kansas Supreme Court ruling to do just that.

In fact, budgets are being reduced. USD 259 in Wichita has seen its 2009-2010 school year budget cut by more than $16 million. As a result, the district eliminated all transportation for children who live within 2.5 miles of school to realize a savings of nearly $236,000 this year alone. The state only funds transportation services for students who live farther away.

“We’re going to pay you X number of children out on that 2.5 [miles], but if you’re want to pick any up under 2.5 that’s on you,” commented Larry Bluthardt, director of the school bus safety education unit at the Kansas State Department of Education.

The Kansas School Boards Association is supporting the state Board of Education’s request that the legislature fully fund the statutes already on the books to the tune of $282 million. One area being targeted is per student spending, which has decreased to $4,218 from $4,433 at the beginning of the year. State law dictated that is was to be raised to $4,597 per pupil. Other issues involve professional development, which is currently unfunded, and a national board certification of teachers.

KSBA spokesman Tom Krebs said the Schools for Fair Funding, a 10-year old non-profit organization of 36 school districts that seeks to increase state education funds, wants to see a thorough examination of current tax policy that is purported to have stripped hundreds of millions of dollars from state coffers through unfair tax abatement, cuts and exemptions.

“It’s caused a shift in the traditional three-legged stool of property, sales and income tax,” he added. “For all of the people who have gotten exemptions and abatement, somebody has to pick up the tab. Any tax increase would have to be a mix of all three.”

Until and if then, school districts are dealing with massive service cuts across the board. Kansas State DOE's Bluthardt said employees are being laid off, school activity trips are being reduced or eliminated and some districts are considering a move toward four-day school weeks to save on costs associated with transportation, student meals, facilities and staffing.

"It’s one of those things; until they get it fixed, we have to live with what they are going to do for us," he added.