College is free for kids in this tiny Kansas town. Will more people move there now?

Paula Wells and her husband were just getting serious about how to fund their fifth-grader’s college tuition.

Then a wealthy businessman instantly absolved them — and their entire town — of that particular obligation.

“It’s almost like I just got an $80,000 bonus into my retirement plan,” said Wells, who also has a kindergartner. “And that’s very attractive to a lot of people.”

This southeast Kansas town of about 2,300 has been buzzing since a former resident in November announced the Neodesha Promise program, which offers a simple yet extraordinary pledge: Anyone who lives here and graduates from the local high school can qualify for free col