AP Interview: Kansas governor links merit pay, school aid

(AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback says work on a new formula for funding the state's public schools should focus on how local districts spend their money, create incentives to shift dollars into classroom instruction and encourage merit pay for teachers.

The Republican governor said during an Associated Press interview that he'd like the GOP-dominated Legislature to draft a new formula next year, a goal shared by some prominent Republican lawmakers.

Brownback rejected arguments from many superintendents and school board members — and four districts suing the state — that the state isn't providing enough aid to provide a suitable education for every child.

Earlier this year, a law enacted by top Republicans with Brownback's support replaced the state's per-pupil formula for distributing aid to districts with stable "block grants" based on what districts received in 2013-14.

Robb said Brownback and his allies could have provided aid "at a constitutional level" had they not enacted massive personal income tax cuts in 2012 and 2013 to stimulate the economy.

While Brownback's opponents say increases in aid aren't keeping pace with rising costs and point out that higher spending on teacher pensions will fuel most of the increases this school year, the governor notes that total aid is at record levels.