Kansas Legislature Boosts School Funding by $6M in Budget Win

TOPEKA, Kansas — The Kansas Legislature approved Sub for HB 2513, a sweeping budget conference bill that expands public school funding with key boosts to special education and inflation adjustments. Signed into law by Gov. Laura Kelly ahead of the April 2026 veto session, the measure funds a 3% CPI-U increase, raising the base per-pupil funding to an estimated $5,782 for FY 2027, and adds $6 million specifically for special education services. Kansas State Department of Education officials confirmed the bill authorizes these expenditures from the State General Fund, building on prior appropriations like the $2.8 billion for State Foundation Aid in FY 2025.[2] The legislation addresses ongoing inequities in Kansas' school finance formula, amending the Kansas School Equity and Enhancement Act to refine State Foundation Aid calculations and extend the high-density at-risk weighting beyond its prior sunset. For FY 2025, it allocates $535.5 million from the State General Fund for Special Education Services Aid, $590 million for Supplemental State Aid, and maintains the 20-mill ad valorem tax levy for two more years to stabilize local revenues. Districts in high-needs areas like Kansas City, Kansas, and rural western counties stand to gain most, with total KSDE appropriations reaching $6.3 billion, including $4.1 billion in State General Fund dollars.[1] Complementing the budget, related bills expand access to scholarship programs for low-income students. SB 87 broadens eligibility under the tax credit for low-income students scholarship program, raises contribution tax credits, and lifts aggregate limits under certain conditions, while SB 386 opts into federal tax credits for scholarship organizations. These changes, amid debates in the House K-12 Education Budget Committee, aim to support at-risk students without supplanting public funding, as evidenced by discussions on weighted FTE funding and excess cost coverage nearing 92%.[3][6] Lawmakers also introduced measures for school district real property disposition, granting the Legislature right of first refusal on sales and creating a notification process for boards. With Kansas facing stagnant enrollments and rising costs, the package — totaling over $5.2 billion for core school finance — signals a fragile truce in the state's decade-long education funding wars, though pending Senate Education Committee bills suggest more reforms ahead.[1][7]