The four largest school districts in Johnson County, Blue Valley, DeSoto, Olathe, and Shawnee Mission, are joining forces with the intention of suing the state over what they claim is chronic underfunding of special education (SPED).
The group’s news release read in part:
“Kansas lawmakers and state elected officials have had well over a decade to meet their legal obligation to fully fund special education. Instead, they have repeatedly chosen to underfund public schools while local districts, educators, and taxpayers shoulder the burden. Participating districts have exhausted every opportunity to work collaboratively with the Legislature and state elected officials to resolve this issue, including meeting individually with lawmakers, providing written and in-person testimony, and engaging through established advocacy channels. The time for waiting on the Legislature to do the right thing has passed, and the time for accountability is now.
The State of Kansas must meet its constitutional and statutory responsibilities to adequately fund public education. Kansas students, educators, and communities can no longer afford the consequences of continued inaction. Our students deserve better.”
