Kansas Board Of Education Approves Budget Request

The Kansas State Board of Education will request a $525 million increase in funding for public schools in the next fiscal year.

The board approved the proposal on a 6-3 vote Tuesday.

The request will be finalized by education department staff and sent to Gov. Sam Brownback.

Board members said the increase would fund items that state law requires public school districts to provide.

With state revenue especially tight, the Republican governor and the GOP-controlled Legislature reduced per-pupil state aid by $232 in the current fiscal year, which began July 1.

The new request will be reviewed by legislators next year for the budget that takes effect in July 2012.