The Kansas legislature’s approval of a new school funding formula and a tax bill this month brought some clarity to state affairs that had been notably murky of late. But lingering questions about whether the school funding bill sitting on Gov. Sam Brownback’s will become law — and pass court muster — have left negotiations between teachers and the district on a contract for next year in limbo.
Deputy Superintendent Kenny Southwick, who leads the district’s negotiating team and will serve as interim superintendent next school year, laid out the situation during Tuesday’s negotiation session with representatives of the Kansas National Education Association – Shawnee Mission.
The school funding bill hit Brownback’s desk late last week. He has 10 days to sign the bill into law, veto the bill, or do nothing, letting it become law without his signature.
“None of those, other than him signing it on the first day, are really good for us,” Southwick said. “Because it will take time, whatever happens, for it to get to the courts.”
Southwick said that with so much uncertainty about whether the new bill, which he characterized as “an old funding formula with some adjustments,” would meet the court’s adequacy requirements, the district did not believe it was in a position to negotiate salary and benefits.
“I can’t predict what he’s going to do,” Southwick said of the governor’s decision. “But I can tell you that with the exception of one Johnson County school district, Olathe, it would appear that the other units working with school districts will not have meaningful conversations about compensation and benefits.”
Under the formula approved by the legislature, Kansas schools would see an influx of around $190 million for the coming school year, and another $100 million the following year. A number of legislators, including some who represent the parts of the school district area, have suggested that the courts are likely to find the amount of additional money injected into the system to by inadequate and unconstitutional.
Southwick said it would likely be July before the district and the teachers union would know enough about the level of funding the district will receive for 2017-18 to negotiate salary and benefits. Teacher pay was a major sticking point last year, with the district and union declaring impasse in late July. After the intervention of a federal mediator, the parties agreed to a new contract in October.
