By John Carmichael

During his State of the State address, Governor Sam Brownback affirmed, “the Kansas Constitution empowers the Legislature – the people’s representatives – to fund our schools.” With a ruling expected any day by the Supreme Court in the school finance case, I am sure we can expect a heated debate involving the constitutional separation of powers and the Governor’s attempts to block the courts authority. The showdown between Governor Brownback and the Kansas Supreme Court could have historic consequences.

During that debate, we must remember Kansas has a moral and constitutional obligation to provide our children with a proper education.  Prior to the Governor’s cuts to education, total state aid per pupil in Kansas was $7,344.00, today it is $6,984.00.  No amount of creative accounting will make up for this deliberate reduction in funding.  Kansas teacher salaries are now the 42nd lowest in the nation.

As we work toward improving our state’s economy, we must not forget our greatest economic development investment is our commitment to children. Kansas has enjoyed a national reputation for quality schools, both K-12 and higher education. Employers know that good schools are vital to providing quality employees.

Good schools lead to a well-educated and well-trained workforce. As we seek to turn around our state economy we must not forget the importance of investing in education.

John