§ 72-8194 — Education funding task force; composition; membership; duties; expiration

(a) There is hereby established the education funding task force. The task force shall be composed of the following 11 voting members:
(1) Two members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
(2) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives;
(3) two members of the senate appointed by the president of the senate;
(4) one member of the senate appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
(5) one member of the state board of education appointed by the state board of education;
(6) one member, who shall be a parent of a student who attends kindergarten or any of the grades one through 12 at a school district in the state, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
(7) one member, who shall be a current or retired public school teacher, appointed by the president of the senate;
(8) one member, who shall be a superintendent of a rural school district, appointed by the state board of education; and
(9) one member, who shall be a superintendent of an urban school district, appointed by the state board of education.
(b) The task force shall consist of the following four ex officio members who shall be nonvoting members:
(1) The deputy commissioner of fiscal and administrative services of the state department of education or the deputy commissioner's designee;
(2) the chairperson of the Kansas children's cabinet or the chairperson's designee;
(3) the director of the division of the budget or the director's designee; and
(4) the director of special education and title services of the state department of education or the director's designee.
(c) Any superintendent who is appointed as a member of the task force pursuant to subsection (a)(8) or (a)(9) may designate another individual to attend any or all meetings of the task force as such member's designee.
(d) The education funding task force shall review the:
(1) Current school finance system in Kansas, including, but not limited to, the Kansas school equity and enhancement act;
(2) current methods for determining and disbursing special education state aid;
(3) inputs of the current school finance system, including, but not limited to, funding levels, funding sources and funding impacts;
(4) outputs of the current school finance system, including, but not limited to, academic achievement outcomes and other measures of student success;
(5) current academic reporting requirements with respect to state assessments and student achievement; and
(6) achievement goals established by the state department of education in the consolidated state plan submitted to the federal department of education pursuant to the elementary and secondary education act of 1965, as amended by the every student succeeds act, including, but not limited to, the goal to have 75% of all students and student subgroups achieve proficiency on the statewide assessments in English language arts and mathematics by 2030, which has been defined by the state board of education as requiring students to score in performance levels 3 and 4 combined on such statewide assessments.
(e) The task force shall prepare and submit a report to the legislature and the governor on or before January 11, 2027. Such report shall include recommendations regarding:
(1) The establishment of a school finance formula that will replace the Kansas school equity and enhancement act after its expiration. When making such recommendations, the task force shall pursue the following goals for such school finance formula:
(A) The formula shall be reasonably calculated to have all students meet or exceed the educational goal established in K.S.A. 72-3218(c), and amendments thereto;
(B) the formula shall provide adequate, consistent and reliable school funding;
(C) the formula shall provide equitable school funding; and
(D) the formula shall provide meaningful accountability measures;
(2) whether revisions to the current methods for determining and disbursing special education state aid are advisable or necessary; and
(3) any other recommendations related to school finance.
(f) (1) Members shall be appointed to the education funding task force on or before November 30, 2024. In even-numbered years, the chairperson of the task force shall be designated by the speaker of the house of representatives and the vice chairperson shall be designated by the president of the senate. In odd-numbered years, the chairperson of the task force shall be designated by the president of the senate and the vice chairperson shall be designated by the speaker of the house of representatives. Any vacancy in the membership of the task force shall be filled by appointment in the same manner prescribed by this section for the original appointment.
(2) A quorum of the task force shall be six voting members. All actions of the task force may be taken by a majority of members present when there is a quorum.
(3) If approved by the legislative coordinating council, members of the task force attending meetings authorized by the task force shall be paid amounts for expenses, mileage and subsistence as provided in K.S.A. 75-3223(e), and amendments thereto.
(4) The staff of the office of revisor of statutes, the legislative research department and the division of legislative administrative services shall provide such assistance as may be requested by the task force.
(5) The task force may meet at any time and at any place within the state upon the call of the chairperson.
(g) This section shall expire on July 1, 2027.

Legislative History

L. 2024, ch. 111, § 4; May 30.