Senate panel reviews KSDE budget requests, reappropriations and E‑rate funding shortfall
January 27, 2026 | Education, Standing, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Kansas
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The Senate Education Committee heard a detailed overview of the Kansas State Department of Education budget, with KLRD fiscal analyst Jennifer Light and KSDE Deputy Commissioner Dr. Harwood outlining the agency's FY2026 request and proposed FY2027 enhancements. The agency requested $6.7 billion in all funds, including $5.0 billion from the state general fund (SGF); the legislative bill and the governor recommended about $6.6 billion and $4.9 billion SGF.
The hearing focused on reappropriations and enhancement requests that were pulled from the legislative bill but appear in the governor's recommendation. Jennifer Light told the committee that reappropriations total $36,400,000, largely in state foundation funds, and noted one item not included in the legislative bill: a $588,000 reappropriation for school-district juvenile detention facilities. "The governor does recommend those reappropriations go in," she said, and she added that the agency intends to use some reappropriated funds for a youth career discovery pilot and the state's 10% match for the E-rate program.
KSDE Deputy Commissioner Dr. Harwood said reappropriations reflect timing and accounting choices rather than new program policy and defended the $36.4 million figure as modest relative to the agency's base. "We think that 36.4, which is less than a percent off, is a reasonable amount to be reappropriating," he told the committee, explaining that some funds were directed to be spent "out of existing resources" under last year's bill language and therefore need explicit reauthorization to complete the work.
Major FY2027 enhancement requests include $92,200,000 SGF for special education state aid (on top of a $611,000,000 baseline), a $15,000,000 request to restore the Safe and Secure Schools grant program (a dollar-for-dollar match by districts), $1,800,000 to restore professional development funding, $1,300,000 for the mentor teacher stipend program, $500,000 for the 10% E-rate state match, and $360,000 to reimburse districts for $1,000 annual National Board certification stipends to teachers. Light told the committee some enhancement items were removed from the legislative bill; reinstating them would require a motion by the committee.
Committee members asked for detail on specific line items and staffing changes. When asked about a $5,000,000 line labeled "other professional fees," Light said, "I don't have that information up here with me. I'd be happy to go ahead and look into it further and get you an answer." The record shows a net decrease of eight FTE positions in the agency request for FY2026, which kept the positions within the approved 2026 amount.
Discussion also covered the history and mechanics of two E-rate programs: one for infrastructure projects (occasional, large, unpredictable costs) and one for recurring discounts on communications bills that requires KSDE verification to secure federal funds. KSDE requested roughly $96,000 SGF to replace an E-rate transfer previously provided by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR); Dr. Harwood explained that KBOR has asked KSDE not to draw on its account as those reserves have been spent down. Without the transfer, KSDE warned, districts risk losing eligibility for about $12,000,000 in federal E-rate funding that Kansans already pay through universal service fees.
Other items discussed included a governor-proposed move of Children's Cabinet functions into a new Office of Early Childhood (with the pre-K pilot shifted from CIF to SGF at approximately $4,200,000), a modest increase to cover State Board of Education compensation, and a small SGF request to cover rent and monumental-building surcharges for agency office space.
A representative of the Boys and Girls Clubs Alliance urged continued funding of a KSDE proviso that supported a two-year pilot using immersive virtual-reality career simulations for middle-school students, noting approximately 1,200 cumulative participant views and a required $2-to-$1 private match for the state funds.
The committee did not take floor votes on budget items in this session; staff and agency witnesses said they would provide follow-up detail on specific line items when requested. The committee scheduled a joint meeting with the House Education Committee (teacher of the year) at the old Supreme Courtroom and concluded the hearing for time.
The hearing focused on reappropriations and enhancement requests that were pulled from the legislative bill but appear in the governor's recommendation. Jennifer Light told the committee that reappropriations total $36,400,000, largely in state foundation funds, and noted one item not included in the legislative bill: a $588,000 reappropriation for school-district juvenile detention facilities. "The governor does recommend those reappropriations go in," she said, and she added that the agency intends to use some reappropriated funds for a youth career discovery pilot and the state's 10% match for the E-rate program.
KSDE Deputy Commissioner Dr. Harwood said reappropriations reflect timing and accounting choices rather than new program policy and defended the $36.4 million figure as modest relative to the agency's base. "We think that 36.4, which is less than a percent off, is a reasonable amount to be reappropriating," he told the committee, explaining that some funds were directed to be spent "out of existing resources" under last year's bill language and therefore need explicit reauthorization to complete the work.
Major FY2027 enhancement requests include $92,200,000 SGF for special education state aid (on top of a $611,000,000 baseline), a $15,000,000 request to restore the Safe and Secure Schools grant program (a dollar-for-dollar match by districts), $1,800,000 to restore professional development funding, $1,300,000 for the mentor teacher stipend program, $500,000 for the 10% E-rate state match, and $360,000 to reimburse districts for $1,000 annual National Board certification stipends to teachers. Light told the committee some enhancement items were removed from the legislative bill; reinstating them would require a motion by the committee.
Committee members asked for detail on specific line items and staffing changes. When asked about a $5,000,000 line labeled "other professional fees," Light said, "I don't have that information up here with me. I'd be happy to go ahead and look into it further and get you an answer." The record shows a net decrease of eight FTE positions in the agency request for FY2026, which kept the positions within the approved 2026 amount.
Discussion also covered the history and mechanics of two E-rate programs: one for infrastructure projects (occasional, large, unpredictable costs) and one for recurring discounts on communications bills that requires KSDE verification to secure federal funds. KSDE requested roughly $96,000 SGF to replace an E-rate transfer previously provided by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR); Dr. Harwood explained that KBOR has asked KSDE not to draw on its account as those reserves have been spent down. Without the transfer, KSDE warned, districts risk losing eligibility for about $12,000,000 in federal E-rate funding that Kansans already pay through universal service fees.
Other items discussed included a governor-proposed move of Children's Cabinet functions into a new Office of Early Childhood (with the pre-K pilot shifted from CIF to SGF at approximately $4,200,000), a modest increase to cover State Board of Education compensation, and a small SGF request to cover rent and monumental-building surcharges for agency office space.
A representative of the Boys and Girls Clubs Alliance urged continued funding of a KSDE proviso that supported a two-year pilot using immersive virtual-reality career simulations for middle-school students, noting approximately 1,200 cumulative participant views and a required $2-to-$1 private match for the state funds.
The committee did not take floor votes on budget items in this session; staff and agency witnesses said they would provide follow-up detail on specific line items when requested. The committee scheduled a joint meeting with the House Education Committee (teacher of the year) at the old Supreme Courtroom and concluded the hearing for time.
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