Kansas school district spending, updated through 2020 and adjusted for inflation. What is the trend in Kansas school spending? This visualization presents several tables and illustrations of spending data. It is presented separately for each district, with a special district "State Totals - 999" being the sum of all districts. (more…)
Charts of Kansas school spending presented in different forms. Recently Kansas State Department of Education released spending figures for the 2020 school year, that is, the school year starting in 2019 and ending in 2020. One of the most important charts shows state spending per-pupil, adjusted for inflation. It shows the total of state and local spending, which is useful because in 2015 the state made a change in the way revenue is allocated between state and local sources. It also shows base state aid per pupil, which is an important number as it is the starting point for the…
An ongoing study reports that property taxes on commercial and industrial property in Wichita are high. In particular, taxes on commercial property in Wichita are among the highest in the nation. The study is produced by Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence. It's titled "50 State Property Tax Comparison Study" and may be read here. It uses a variety of residential, apartment, commercial, and industrial property scenarios to analyze the nature of property taxation across the country. I've gathered data from selected tables for Wichita. In Kansas, residential property is assessed at 11.5 percent of…
Kansas school employment rose for the current school year. Figures released by the Kansas State Department of Education show the number of teachers and certified employees rose for the 2019-2020 school year. The number of Pre-K through grade 12 teachers rose to 31,337 from 31,153, an increase of 0.59 percent. Certified employees rose to 43,305 from 42,861, or by 1.04 percent. [1. According to KSDE, certified employees include Superintendent, Assoc./Asst. Superintendents, Administrative Assistants, Principals, Assistant Principals, Directors/Supervisors Spec. Ed., Directors/Supervisors of Health, Directors/Supervisors Career/Tech Ed, Instructional Coordinators/Supervisors, All Other Directors/Supervisors, Other Curriculum Specialists, Practical Arts/Career/Tech Ed Teachers, Special Ed. Teachers,…
There is some good news in the performance level reports for Wichita public schools. Since 2015, Kansas test scores have been reported in a new way. Kansas State Department of Education explains: Kansas assessment results are now reported in four levels. Level 1 indicates that a student shows a limited ability to understand and use the mathematics skills and knowledge needed for college and career readiness. Level 2 indicates that a student shows a basic ability to understand and use the mathematics skills and knowledge needed for college and career readiness. Level 3 indicates that a student shows an effective…
Kansas school salaries, visualized. This is an interactive visualization of Kansas school salaries for superintendents, principals, and teachers, for each school district. To learn more about the data and use the visualization, click here. Following, an example from the visualization.
Data from the annual report for the 2018-2019 school year for USD 259, the Wichita, Kansas public school district. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for USD 259, the Wichita public school district, provides a look at trends over the years. The document, along with those from previous years, is available here. Here are some highlights from the CAFR for the year ending June 30, 2019, known as fiscal year 2019. The CAFR was released in December 2019. (Click charts for larger versions.) The following chart shows data from the CAFR along with my calculations. I took two data series, "total…
Using demographically-adjusted scores, Kansas falls in state rankings of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The U.S. Department of Education, through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), conducts the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) every other year. Known as "The Nation's Report Card," it is "the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas." The results for 2019 were released last week, and Kansas does not do well. Looking at state rankings, here are the findings based on demographically-adjusted scores. Grade 4 math: In 2017, Kansas ranked 16.…
From the Wichita Pachyderm Club this week: Candidates for the board of USD 259, the Wichita public school district. This was recorded October 4, 2019. In board district 3, incumbent Ernestine Krehbiel is running unopposed, so this event did not include that district. In board district 4, the candidates are James W. Kilpatrick, Jr. and Stan Reeser (incumbent). For the at-large board district, which covers the entire school district, the candidates are Sheril Logan (incumbent) and Joseph Shepard. Of note, the boundaries of the Wichita school district are not the same as the City of Wichita boundaries. Substantial parts of…
In a new edition of a study that assesses the stringency of state school assessments, Kansas performs well. States are free to create their own tests to measure the performance of students in their schools. There is variability in how stringently states construct their tests. The U.S. Department of Education, through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), conducts the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) every other year. Known as "The Nation's Report Card," it is "the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas." [1. National Assessment of…
