Kansas Education Budgets Advance

Budgets for Kansas public schools for the next two academic years are moving forward with slight increases in per-student spending in fiscal year 2015.

The House Appropriations Committee accepted a subcommittee’s report on K-12 spending on Monday. Both budgets would have Kansas spend more than $3 billion on public schools annually. The budget per pupil would remain at $3,838 in fiscal year 2014 but increase to $3,852 in fiscal 2015, starting July 1, 2014.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee will review funding proposals for the University of Kansas and its medical center, as well as Kansas State, Wichita State, Pittsburg, Emporia and Fort Hays State universities.

All of the spending recommendations will be folded into a state government budget bill to be debated in the coming weeks.