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RESOURCES

Kansas Legislature
Johnson County Election Office
Register to Vote

Communities of the
25th District

Fairway
Mission
Mission Hills
Mission Woods
Prairie Village
Roeland Park
Westwood
Westwood Hills

CONTACT MELISSA

In Topeka: 
State Capitol Room 352-A
Topeka, KS 66612
melissa.rooker@house.ks.gov
785-296-7686

At home in Fairway
4124 Brookridge Drive
Fairway, KS 66205
melissa@melissarooker.com
913-961-1555

Dear Friend:

BREAKING: As I was finalizing this update last night, it was announced that Governor Brownback has been nominated for Ambassador at-large for International Religious Freedom. The position appears to be something that suits the governor's background and interests and I wish him well. In the meantime, I look forward to continuing to make progress on the important issues facing our state during this transition and in the months to come. 

The June announcement by the Kansas Supreme Court allowing SB 19, the new school finance formula, to take effect on July 1 pending their review was a tremendous relief. The Court was clear this should not be construed as pre-judgment or approval of the bill. However, keeping schools open as we work to rewrite the school finance formula and meet the adequacy requirement has been my goal from the very beginning. 

Current Impact
While it’s common belief that schools shutter during the summer, this decision allowed forward progress for school districts in a variety of ways, including:

  • Finalizing contract negotiations and budgets,
  • Preparing for the start of classes in August,
  • Providing summer lunch programs,
    • Roughly 1.4 million meals will be served this summer to Kansas children who likely would not have other means.
    • In Shawnee Mission alone, 27,662 summertime lunches were served last year.
  • Continuing summer enrichment programs,
  • Delivering Special Education services,
  • Completing maintenance work that cannot be done during the school year, and
  • Engaging teachers in professional development programs.
The Shawnee Mission Post included my comments in an article. 
A Brief History 
When I introduced HB 2270 in February, the policy and funding levels included were the result of years of research, input from the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) and other education stakeholders, bicameral collaboration, and attention to the decisions handed down in Gannon over the years. Our choices were not arbitrary, but the legislative process is messy and compromise is necessary to keep legislation moving. There are several elements of the final product with which I disagree, but supporting the compromise was vitally important to move the process along and allow the court to review our work. My explanation of vote from SB 19:
As the bill evolved, I stayed focused on the goal of drafting a finance formula that restored per pupil funding, with added categories of weighting to address the individual characteristics of the students in each district. We experienced the difficult consequences of a static funding model during our two-year block grant experiment, making it abundantly clear we needed to ensure our funding mechanism is responsive to changing conditions within each of our school districts.

Gannon Update
As with every Gannon proceeding since it came to the Supreme Court, I attended the oral arguments in mid-July. Very little about the content of the formula itself gave the court pause. The provisions at issue are a series of items added in the conference committee process:
  • 10% minimum floor for at-risk funding,
  • Use of capital outlay funds for property and casualty insurance payments as well as utilities, and
  • The requirement for a protest petition to increase Local Option Budget (LOB) from 30% to 33%.
The bulk of the hearing was spent addressing adequacy of funding. The court appeared visibly out of patience with the State’s arguments, particularly questioning the State’s claim that per-pupil funding below 2008-09 levels meet the adequacy test.
Next Steps
What will the Court do with the information from the presentations – and when? Nobody knows exactly when we will see a definitive opinion, but it’s quite possible we could see something before Labor Day. Another unknown is how quickly the court will require a remedy – both in terms of how much time the legislature is given to deliberate and how quickly additional funds must be provided to schools.
 
I have said since SB 19 passed that funding beyond the current level will likely be ordered. Schools are locking in plans for the upcoming school year, so additional funds will be of more use if schools have time to plan for next year and beyond. Whether we are called back for a special session, or are given part of the 2018 legislative session to craft a remedy, I am prepared to do the work necessary to properly fund our schools.
There is no greater economic development tool than investment in quality public education. KSDE has partnered with business leaders statewide to ensure that the new Kansans Can initiative addresses college and career readiness. Our students will have unique new opportunities to graduate with the preparation and certification to take their next steps in life more prepared than ever before. As we move past the harmful legacy of “No Child Left Behind” and develop exciting new experiential learning opportunities and individualized programs that recognize student growth, the most important commitment we can make is to ensure K-12 public schools have the resources they need to carry out this vision.
Local Elections - August 1, November 7
Stay tuned as we await a decision. As always, I will keep you updated. In the meantime, please cast your vote in the August 1 primary. Local races for school board positions, city councils and mayors are underway and good voter participation is crucial. Information regarding advance voting locations and your polling place on Election Day can be found here and information regarding the candidates can be found at KanVote.com/learn.
If you have questions, comments or need help please contact me at 913-961-1555 or via email at Melissa@MelissaRooker.com. It is my pleasure to serve.

Sincerely,

Rep. Melissa Rooker
Kansas State Representative, District 25
Serving Northeast Johnson County
Copyright © 2017 All rights reserved.
Melissa Rooker,