IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FEB. 9, 2007

CONTACT:
Rep. Lana Gordon
785/296-7652
Gordon@house.state.ks.us

Topeka – Kansas Representative Lana Gordon (R-Topeka) said today a post audit report highlights ways Kansas school districts can become transparent with their budgets.

“Kansans should be able to see clearly how their schools spend every dollar,” Rep. Gordon said. “That’s why I asked the Legislative Post Audit to research how other states handle accounting requirements.  We now have great examples of what other states are doing and how those practices could help Kansans understand how their school districts operate and help districts improve their budget practices.”

Rep. Gordon said the post audit report found 14 of 20 states surveyed do centralized accounting and standardized reporting already - some for 20 years.

“Kansas districts currently use different codes for the same item or expense, making it nearly impossible to compare their spending,” Rep. Gordon explained. “Establishing standardized reporting will have everyone coding expenses the same way and allow us to compare apples to apples.  Not only will it give the legislature a clear picture of how tax dollars are spent but it also will allow us to see where districts may need more funding.”

Rep. Gordon also supports House Bill 2175 that would require the Kansas Board of Education to develop a centralized accounting and reporting system for the receipts and expenditures of school districts. 

“Funding for public education takes nearly 2/3 of our state budget.  There will be some expense but it is time to develop an accounting system like what most businesses use so we can better manage how schools spend tax dollars,” said Rep. Gordon.

The House Education Budget Committee will hold a hearing on HB 2175 later this session.

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