Background:
Legislators approved about $40 million in increases in education spending in the budget that took effect July 1. It increased the base state aid per student by $58 to $3,838. That was the first increase in per-student spending since the 2008-2009 school year and reversed a string of reductions brought about by the state’s financial struggles during the recession that began in late 2007.
However, additional increases could be difficult based on new changes to the Kansas income tax code signed into law by Brownback in May. Coupled with a previously scheduled sales tax decrease, the income tax reductions will provide $231 million in tax relief during the fiscal year beginning July 1, with the annual figure growing to $934 million after six years. That means less money coming into state government coffers.
