Education (School Funding)

This bill proposes adding a new provision to the Kansas Constitution to restrict how public money is used for K-12 education. Specifically, it would limit state funds to secular public schools and explicitly ban the use of any public money to aid or maintain private nonpublic schools. The measure requires a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers to pass and would then be placed on the ballot for voters to approve or reject in 2026. If passed, the change would legally prevent the state from directing taxpayer dollars toward private educational institutions.

This bill reduces the property tax rate that Kansas school districts can charge on taxable property, lowering it from the current rate to 20 mills for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, then gradually decreasing by one mill each year until it reaches 15 mills starting in the 2031-2032 school year. The measure directly affects school districts across Kansas by limiting how much tax revenue they can collect from property owners to fund general operating budgets, maintain public schools, and repay certain redevelopment bonds. Under the new provisions, most tax revenue collected must be sent to the state treasurer and deposited into the state school district finance fund, while districts are prohibited from using certain other tax authority mechanisms. The changes apply to all school districts in Kansas and take effect once the bill is published in the state statute book.

HB 2631 increases the property tax exemption for residential homeowners in Kansas, raising the amount exempt from the statewide school levy from $75,000 to $125,000 of a property's appraised value. This change directly affects Kansas homeowners with residential properties who pay school taxes. The bill amends existing law to apply this higher exemption starting in 2027, reducing their taxable value for school funding purposes. The exemption applies to all taxable years beginning in 2027 and beyond.

HB 2011 lowers the property tax rate for Kansas school districts from 20 mills to 18.5 mills for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, and establishes a new formula to maintain revenue levels starting in 2026-2027 based on current property valuations. It directly affects residential property owners by increasing their exemption from the statewide school levy, reducing their taxable property value. The bill also requires school districts to remit all tax proceeds (except for specific bond payments) to the state school district finance fund. These changes aim to reduce local tax burdens while maintaining funding stability for public schools.