Vote NO on HB 2434 Unless Special Education Is Fully Funded

I am writing to urge you to oppose HB 2434 in its current form. This budget bill includes only $10 million in new Special Education funding — an amount that will cause Kansas to fall even further behind in meeting its obligations to students. School districts are legally required to provide Special Education services. When the state refuses to fully fund those services, districts are forced to divert general education dollars to cover the gap. This effectively reduces base state aid by about $1,000 for every Kansas student and weakens educational opportunities across our communities. Kansas students deserve honesty and responsibility in budgeting. If the Legislature mandates services, it must also provide the funding necessary to deliver them. I urge you to support full funding for Special Education and to vote NO on HB 2434 unless it is amended to meet that responsibility. Thank you for your service to our state and for considering the needs of Kansas students and families.