Legislative Priorities & Education Advocacy Home
Legislative Priorities and Education Advocacy Opportunities
As a resilient community committed to supporting neighborhood public schools, it is vital that we not only celebrate the successes within our educational system but also stay vigilant and engaged with public education policy decisions. Now more than ever, staying informed about critical statewide education funding legislation is essential to ensuring consistent and impactful advocacy for public education. Together, we can shape a brighter future for our students.
We encourage you to explore the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS/USD 500) district to begin your advocacy journey. Below, you'll find helpful data points and resources to guide you.
The 2023-2024 KCKPS Annual Report provides a comprehensive overview of the district's strategic priorities and how they are being implemented. Additionally, reviewing the KCKPS Legislative Platform will offer insight into the district’s key advocacy issues at the Kansas Statehouse.
During the Kansas legislative session, this page is regularly updated with information about legislative discussions that align with the USD 500 platform. Here, you’ll find concise talking points to use when engaging with Wyandotte County legislative delegation members about public education funding concerns. Legislator contact information is also available for your convenience.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about the issues facing KCKPS and supporting public education advocacy. Your involvement makes a difference in ensuring the success of our schools and students
Who We Are
USD 500 Serves 21,139 Students
KCKPS is: 58% Hispanic, 22% Black, 9% White, 7% Asian
USD 500 Is the Largest District in Wyandotte County
KCKPS is 81% Free and Reduced Lunch
USD 500 Has: 7 Preschools, 28 Elementary Schools, 7 Middle Schools, 5 High Schools,
5 Alternative Schools
In 2023, 77% of the Students Graduated With a Diploma + Giving Our Students What They Need to Succeed in Today's World
KCKPS/USD 500 Legislative Platform
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Educational Governance
- We support the general supervision of public schools under the state Board of Education, including setting standards for accreditation, learning standards, graduation, and licensure.
- We support the management of public schools under locally-elected boards of education, including setting curriculum, staffing, financial management, and policies so that such schools can progress and meet State Board standards.
School Funding
- We support suitable finance provided by the Kansas Legislature, including continued implementation of the constitutionally suitable school funding and inflationary adjustments approved by the Legislature, the Governor, and the Kansas Supreme Court.
High Quality Staffing and KPERS
- We support improving teacher recruitment and retention through local control of classroom content, respect for the teaching profession, and increased funding for salaries, including the inflationary adjustments approved by the Legislature and the state Supreme Court.
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- Continue the inflationary cost-of-living increase approved by the Kansas Supreme Court in 2018.
- Prioritize support and resources for students and their family’s physical health, mental health, and safety.
- Fund special education to 92% of excess costs, as the law requires.
- Allocate funds for transportation of students living within a metropolitan area less than 2.5 miles from their attendance center and high-risk students who need a higher level of bus transportation.
- Support career and technical education funding by allowing for the expansion of career pathway programs.
- Prioritize funding for Early Childhood which includes Preschool-Aged at Risk, Parents as Teachers, and infant/toddler Services.
- Provide a more equitable formula for state aid distribution to support bond interest projects. Removal of state-wide caps on bond and interest projects is essential.
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- Support mandatory kindergarten to ensure access to early education and promote long-term development.
- Expand flexibility in the path-to-teacher licensure while retaining appropriate standards set by the State Board of Education.
- Support Medicaid services designed to improve access to healthcare that can reduce overall healthcare costs for families and improve academic outcomes for students.
- Support public and private business partnerships to meet student educational needs regarding college and career readiness.
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- Provide additional flexibility to address ongoing staff shortages and management challenges.
- Support rules and incentives designed to treat all public employees equitably when returning to work post-retirement.
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- Support a system that abides by the Kansas Constitutional requirements that locally elected boards of education must operate public schools.
- Maintain the self-executing powers of the State Board of Education while opposing any legislation designed to provide public funding to private schools through tax credits and vouchers.
- Support a system that requires a Commissioner of Education that reports directly to the State Board of Education.
A complete list of legislators for the state of Kansas is available at Kansas State Legislature.