Defeat of HB 2605 good for U-235, U-234

The recent defeat of legislation in Topeka that would have modified certain portions of the state school finance formula is positive news for his school district, USD 235 Superintendent Randy Rockhold said.

"House Bill 2605 would have had a very negative impact on Uniontown," Rockhold said. "It would have had a similar impact on all small rural schools with a large population of impoverished students. On the contrary, it would have had a significantly positive impact on three districts; Wichita, Kansas City, and Topeka."

The bill, which would have modified the formula used to calculate the high-density, at-risk weighting in the school finance formula, was first introduced by the House Legislative Educational Planning Committee in January and amended in February. The bill would have significantly reduced funding for 36 Kansas school districts, including Fort Scott, Pleasanton and Uniontown.

It failed by one vote, 63-62, after a House vote Feb. 28.

Had the bill passed, neither of the Bourbon County school districts would have been eligible to receive much-needed funding for their at-risk students.

"We receive weighted funding because more than 40 percent of our students qualify for free lunches," Rockhold said. "This funding totals $51,000. HB 2605 would have increased the requirement to 44 percent before getting high density funding. This would have eliminated us from eligibility."

Rockhold added that any loss in funding for school districts can also potentially have harmful effects on educational opportunities for students.

"USD 235 operates on a very tight budget," he said. "Loss of any funding results in loss of services. I have a hard time believing we can reduce any program without having a negative impact on learning opportunities for students. We value providing our students with the best learning opportunities, and quality programs with quality staff members is the key to success. We just can't eliminate programs without hurting the opportunity for the kids we serve."

HB 2605 proposed to modify the specifications for calculating high-density at-risk weighting, which under current law, applies to districts with at least 40 percent of at-risk pupil enrollment. HB 2605 would have increased the high-density at-risk funding threshold to 44 percent, therefore cutting funding for USD 234 schools by $200,000, USD 235 by $51,000, and Pleasanton by $44,000, according to information provided by District 4 Rep. Shirley Palmer, D-Fort Scott, a retired 30-year local teacher who actively worked to defeat the legislation.

The weighting would have applied to districts that have an enrollment of at least 44 percent at-risk students and would increase as the enrollment of at-risk students in the district increased. The new calculation would level off at an enrollment of 55 percent at-risk students.

High-density at-risk funds help schools offer increased instructional services and resources to students who need them the most. At-risk students are defined as those students who struggle with complex issues relating to peers, family situations and social environment, which typically results in behavioral problems and poor academic performance.

At-risk funding helps close the achievement gap by helping schools handle higher costs of properly educating at-risk students, Palmer said.

The full text of HB 2605 can be viewed online at www.kslegislature.org.