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A strong public school system is vital for our children, communities and democracy. Every child in Kansas deserves a world-class education and the Kansas Constitution is clear about the importance of public education to the state. When I look around my children’s school, I see future engineers, carpenters, teachers and community leaders — and I know that our public schools are essential to each child’s later success and independence.
The 2026 elections are important for many reasons, but here in Kansas, public schools are at the top of my list. Decisions voters make at the polls this year will set the course for public education for the next generations of Kansas children. Now, more than ever, voters must place strong public schools at the top of their minds when they head to the polls for state elections.
On Aug. 4, voters will see a ballot question asking if we should start directly electing our Kansas Supreme Court justices. Switching from our current merit-based system, which ensures justices are qualified to uphold the constitution, to a political system jeopardizes the integrity of the court. Directly electing judges is a bad idea for many reasons. The threat to fairness of our public schools is one of the main reasons I’ll be voting “no” on this ballot question in August.
Kansas schools took a beating during the Brownback era because of his disastrous tax experiment. Remember, our local schools — and our children — suffered because of state budget cuts. We saw larger class sizes, falling test scores and schools closing. It was the state Supreme Court that protected our kids’ futures and forced Kansas to keep its promises.
Back in 2005, when schools were not fairly funded, it was the state Supreme Court in Montoy v. Kansas that stood up for kids’ in rural, urban and suburban communities to ensure all Kansas students got a good education. Later, in Gannon v. State, the state Supreme Court again held the Legislature accountable to fund public schools.
The checks and balances system worked — when legislators didn’t follow the constitution, the judicial branch made them. Kids, schools, families and communities are better because of those rulings by the state Supreme Court. It works because the court is impartial and accountable only to the constitution. The court’s fairness and impartiality are in jeopardy with the August ballot question.
Electing justices significantly increases the chances that rulings are based on political grounds and allegiance to campaign donors, instead of being based on the constitution. The stakes for public schools are high. Taxpayers deserve accountability from their leaders and transparency in how tax dollars are spent.
On Nov. 3, voters must again prioritize our children’s futures at the polls. The current school finance formula expires in June 2027. This means the governor we elect and the Legislature we choose in 2026 will shape our commitment to our kids and their education for decades.
The Republican supermajority has been clear where they stand on public schools, in my view. Year after year, they’ve pushed vouchers for private schools that steal tax dollars from our communities and their public schools. Republican lawmakers have chronically underfunded special education, forcing local schools to cut classroom programs, which harms students and teachers.
I feel that the Kansas House Democrats are working hard to break the Republican supermajority and protect our kids. We need voters to show up in November and support Democrats who want to make sure public schools across the state can prepare our children for a future in Kansas.
Every child in Kansas deserves a good education, regardless of where they live. Making sure our schools can prepare our kids for a rapidly changing world, support our teachers, and provide all children with tools to thrive in life is at the core of why I ran for the state Legislature.
I’m asking voters across the state to make 2026 a year they come to the polls to vote for education — vote NO on the August ballot question, elect state representatives who support strong public schools and elect a new governor who prioritizes our kids and schools.
— Suzanne Wikle (she/her) is a Democrat and the state representative for House District 10 in Lawrence. She is running for reelection this year. Wikle has two children in Lawrence Public Schools.
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