The U.S. Department of Education threatened to withhold federal funding from 4 Kansas school districts last month over their policies for transgender students. The school districts are seeking support as they navigate a federal investigation.
The Gardner Edgerton school district was the only one in the state that banned a book during the 2024-2025 school year, according to an annual report cataloguing bans and restrictions across the country.
Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson announced his impending retirement Wednesday. He plans to remain in the post until his successor is named.
A new law requires human development videos in classrooms, but leaves it up to local school districts to decide what materials students will see and at what ages.
State assessments have shown increasing numbers of Kansas students scoring lower on math, science and English language arts tests since 2016, while achieving marks of post-secondary success, such as higher education degrees and military careers.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and 17 other democratic governors signed a letter addressed to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, demanding the relinquishment of nearly $7 billion in school funds.
The Kansas State Board of Education and AG Kris Kobach have been fighting about whether Kansas should drop a ban on discrimination against persons based on sexual orientation or gender identity from public school district contracts tied to federally funded nutrition programs.
Kansas AG Kris Kobach encouraged the State Board of Education to remove sex discrimination language from the state’s lunch contracts, the latest in his offensive against gender and identity politics.
One union, rather than two separate for classified and certified staff, will represent all unionized Lawrence school district employees moving forward.
Disagreement exists on the Kansas Legislature’s task force reworking the state’s public school finance formula about the importance of high school graduation rate as a measure of student success.
