Kansas schools $1.4+ billion in reserves

may help solve funding issues

Legislators recently learned that school districts in Kansas are sitting on at least $1.4 billion in cash reserves.

The battle over whether that money is available to spend played out during two competing presentations recently in front of the House Appropriations Committee.

Dave Trabert, president of the Kansas Policy Institute, the parent organization of KansasReporter, first told lawmakers that school districts had $1.498 billion in unencumbered cash balances, as of July 1, citing the Kansas Department of Education.

Mark Tallman, assistant executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards, reported that his association’s members had total cash reserves of $1.458 billion, as of July 1. But the $40 million difference between the two totals was not the main contention.

The schools could work on becoming more efficient, Trabert said, therefore avoiding the need to raise taxes. He cited an audit of the Derby school district that found $1 million in savings. Learn more >>