Issues: K-12 & Higher Education
Governor Laura Kelly’s North Star is to make Kansas the best place to raise a family. Critical to that goal is ensuring Kansans have an education system that supports every student and family, regardless of their background or where they live.
Since taking office, Governor Kelly has taken a broken education system — crippled by years of underfunding, litigation, and four-day school weeks — and turned it into one where students finally have the resources they need to succeed and academic outcomes are improving. Governor Kelly has balanced the state budget and fully funded public education for seven consecutive years.
Governor Kelly is dedicated to fully funding education and increasing special education funding.
Highlights:
K-12 Education
-
Governor Kelly has fully funded public education for seven years in a row, ending decades of litigation over school finance and delivering record increases in funding for Kansas students. Over six years, Governor Kelly has secured over $1.2 billion in new funding for public education, upholding Kansas’s commitment to the constitutional rights of its students.
-
This funding has allowed school districts to increase average teacher pay by over $3,200 since Governor Kelly took office.
-
This funding includes a $110 million increase in state aid for special education, which districts use to support all students. Governor Kelly is committed to fully funding the state’s obligation toward special education by continuing to increase funding over the next four years.
-
Governor Kelly has enacted legislation to reform literacy instruction to ensure that all students are provided the support they need to be successful readers, expanded access to career and technical education opportunities for K-12 students, and invested over $78 million to support student mental health.
Higher Education
-
Governor Kelly has led efforts to restore and increase funding for Kansas’ higher education system, overseeing a total increase of $516 million in state funding that supports students and drives economic growth at our colleges and universities. This represents a 65% increase in state general funding since the governor took office.
-
Under Governor Kelly’s leadership, annual state funding for higher education surpassed $1 billion for the first time in state history. This year, over $1.3 billion will be allocated to the higher education system, the largest single-year investment in history.
-
This includes more than $150 million in new funding for need-based financial aid, student scholarships, and to offset tuition increases—all vital to ensuring Kansas colleges and universities are financially accessible for students.
-
Throughout her term, Governor Kelly has secured additional state support to ensure Kansas students can afford a college education and have greater access to opportunities that will prepare them to enter the Kansas workforce. Under her leadership, university students have seen little to no increases in their tuition.