#FullyFundSPED

#FullyFundSPED

The estimated cost to fully fund special education for next school year would mean an increase of about $109 million in the state budget. For context, the total state budget is $23 billion. The total that comes from state taxes is about $9 billion and the unspent amount planned for the current year is $3 billion.

The special education funding that is being discussed is not a new ask, it is a request to fund a promise made in state law. This would be like lending $100 to someone, then coming back 10 years later and asking for it back, then being told that they can’t afford it because they only have $3000 in their savings.

Represented as dollar signs this looks like this.

Kansas Unspent Budget ($ = $30 million)

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Kansas SPED Funding Request ($ = $30 million)

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The ask is not unreasonable. We must share with our representatives and senators the importance of this issue in our communities. We are not asking for extra. We are asking for what state law promises.