Kansas House weighs restrictions on school districts’ handling of at-risk aid

A conservative think tank sought support for a Kansas House bill Monday requiring public school districts to prove state aid earmarked for at-risk students was spent on authorized academic programs and to compel each district to report on student academic progress in relation to each initiative.

Former House Speaker Mike O’Neal, speaking on behalf of Kansas Policy Institute, said new state spending for K-12 students thought to be in jeopardy of failure was being diverted by school districts to general operating budgets rather than targeted at designated students. He told the House Education Committee that House Bill 2540 would better hold local school districts accountable.

“Legislation intended to target at-risk funding toward the goal of lifting up at-risk students has failed largely due to those funds being diluted at the district level,” O’Neal said. “The status quo is not acceptable.”