72-5193. Provision of public school financing system; financing resources and methods. Article 6 of the constitution of the state of Kansas states that the legislature shall provide for intellectual, educational, vocational and scientific improvement by establishing and maintaining public schools; provide for a state board of education having general supervision of public schools, educational institutions and the educational interests of the state, except those delegated by law to the state board of regents; and make suitable provision for finance of the educational interests of the state. It is the purpose and intention of the legislature to provide a financing system for the education of kindergarten and grades one through 12 which provides students with the capacities set forth in K.S.A. 72-3218, and amendments thereto. Such financing system shall be sufficiently flexible for the legislature to consider and utilize financing methods from all available resources in order to satisfy the constitutional requirements under article 6. Such financing methods shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) Federal funding to unified school districts or public schools, including any grants or federal assistance;

(b) subject to appropriations by the legislature, appropriations of state moneys for the improvement of public education, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Financing to unified school districts through the Kansas school equity and enhancement act, K.S.A. 72-5131 et seq., and amendments thereto;

(2) financing to unified school districts through any provisions which provide state aid, such as capital improvements state aid, capital outlay state aid and any other state aid paid, distributed or allocated to school districts on the basis of the assessed valuation of school districts;

(3) employer contributions to the Kansas public employees retirement system for public schools;

(4) appropriations to the Kansas children's cabinet for programs serving students enrolled in unified school districts in meeting the goal specified in K.S.A. 72-3218, and amendments thereto;

(5) appropriations to any programs which provide early learning to four-year-old children with the purpose of preparing them for success in public schools;

(6) appropriations to any programs, such as communities in schools, which provide individualized support to students enrolled in unified school districts in meeting the goal specified in K.S.A. 72-3218, and amendments thereto;

(7) transportation financing, including any transfers from the state general fund and state highway fund to the state department of education to provide technical education transportation, special education transportation or school bus safety;

(8) financing to other facilities providing public education to students, such as the Kansas state school for the blind, the Kansas state school for the deaf, school district juvenile detention facilities and the Flint Hills job corps center;

(9) appropriations relating to the Kansas academy of mathematics and science;

(10) appropriations relating to teaching excellence, such as scholarships, awards, training or in-service workshops;

(11) appropriations to the state board of regents to provide technical education incentives to unified school districts and tuition costs to postsecondary institutions which provide career technical education to secondary students; and

(12) appropriations to any postsecondary educational institution which provides postsecondary education to a secondary student without charging tuition to such student;

(c) any provision which authorizes the levying of local taxes for the purpose of financing public schools; and

(d) any transfer of funds or appropriations from one object or fund to another approved by the legislature for the purpose of financing public schools.

History: L. 2014, ch. 93, § 28; L. 2015, ch. 4, § 42; L. 2017, ch. 95, § 70; July 1.