During the 2025 Kansas legislative session, we are providing Johnson County lawmakers the opportunity to share their thoughts about what is happening in the state capitol.
The views expressed in each Capitol Update are solely those of the lawmaker. The topics are of the lawmakers’ choosing and are not fact-checked.
Below is a submission from Democratic Rep. Nikki McDonald, who represents Kansas House District 49, covering parts of Olathe and Overland Park.
The Post earlier this week published a Capitol Update from Republican Sen. Doug Shane of Louisburg and also extended an invitation to Democratic Rep. Brandon Woodard of Lenexa to publish one later this week.
Strong public schools drive strong local economies. Public schools prepare the workforce of tomorrow. They make our communities vibrant, strengthen property values and ensure a bright future. That’s why it’s so disturbing to see Republican leaders in Topeka repeatedly turn their backs on students, parents and educators.
Just last year, Kansas lawmakers passed the Blueprint for Literacy — a plan to address literacy concerns.
It devotes $10 million per year to train teachers in evidence-based reading instruction, aiming to have 90% of students in grades 3-8 reading at grade level by 2033. It was a win for every student in Kansas, including the 95,000 kids in Johnson County’s public schools.
Sadly, the Republican-led legislature recently stripped the Blueprint for Literacy funding. Funds are available in our budget if we prioritize correctly. It’s strange how Republicans had no problem overriding the governor’s veto to increase spending on their pet projects, isn’t it?
Don’t sugarcoat it: The GOP makes empty promises to our kids.
Republicans prioritize diverting public funds to private schools that don’t have to accept all students or follow the same accountability standards as public schools. Johnson County already has some of the best public schools in the state, so why are our tax dollars being funneled away from them?
It’s not just happening in Kansas. At the federal level, under Trump’s education secretary Linda McMahon, the Department of Education just pulled $22.6 million in literacy funds already approved and awarded to Kansas. These were funds dedicated to addressing pandemic learning loss.
Once again, Republicans defunded our literacy initiatives, refusing to honor their commitment to students, even though they know that children who cannot read become adults who cannot read.
The message is clear: Republican officials, from Topeka to D.C., are not serious about making sure our children learn how to read.
Johnson County voters are committed to students and public schools, consistently supporting school bond issues and electing school board members who put students first. We must also pay close attention to happenings at the state level because that’s where the biggest decisions are made and the biggest damage is being done.
Nearly 2,000 teaching positions went unfilled across Kansas this year. Instead of supporting educators with high-quality training, the Kansas Legislature and Donald Trump pulled the rug out from under them. Again.
This is why every election matters — local, state and federal. If you care about your neighborhood school, if you want to protect the academic excellence that draws families to Johnson County, then support candidates who stand up for all students.
Reject those who only mention education when they’re up for reelection but vote to defund vital school programs while treating our children like political pawns. Our kids deserve better — and so do we.
Let’s hold the line and hold the Republicans who refuse to honor their commitments to our children accountable.
Representative Nikki McDonald is a former teacher who is fighting every day for a common-sense approach to governing, which includes fully funded public schools, literacy for every child and a future where Johnson County continues to thrive.
