Members of the Kansas State Board of Education are expected to vote on the adoption of the model for KESA 2.0, the second iteration of the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation, during their monthly meeting on July 9-10, in Topeka. 

Throughout the past year, board members have heard from KSDE’s Division of Learning Services and the Accreditation and Design team regarding the KESA 2.0 timeline and mechanisms. This new accreditation process employs a school improvement model based on the four fundamentals of structured literacy, standards alignment, balanced assessments and quality instruction. KESA 2.0 also includes the board-approved qualitative outcomes of individual plan of study (IPS), kindergarten readiness, and social-emotional learning. 

(Picture above: Dr. Ben Proctor, KSDE deputy commissioner of learning services, right, will address the Kansas State Board of Education next week as members are expected to vote on the adoption of the KESA 2.0 model.)

“We want to focus on fewer priorities and do those well,” said Dr. Ben Proctor, KSDE deputy commissioner for learning services. “We want our students to know more and be able to do more which will give them more options and opportunities as they go through school and ultimately graduate and go on in life.” 

In other business during their July meeting, board members are expected to vote on the Fiscal Year 2026 funding recommendations legislators will consider during the 2025 Kansas legislative session.  

The board heard in June from Frank Harwood, KSDE deputy commissioner for fiscal and administrative services, who presented recommended budget options for Fiscal Year 2026 (2025-26 school year) that include an estimated 4.5% increase in the base state aid per pupil funding. The current base state aid is $5,378 for the 2024-25 school year. A 4.5% increase would take the base state aid to $5,618 for the 2025-26 school year.  

Board members will also consider whether to make funding requests to adhere to the reporting requirements of SB 387 that involve at-risk students. They are expected to consider recommendations for increasing KSDE’s capacity to address legislative concerns about cybersecurity threats to school districts’ information technology platforms. 

During their June meeting, board members approved a formula to distribute $73 million in additional state aid, another requirement of SB 387. The local contribution funding model distributes new funds based on the local district’s local effort to pay for their special education (SPED) services. Another $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will be distributed to the districts for SPED services using the current categorial aid formula.  

The board also will consider acting on the recommendation they receive the same daily rate of pay legislators approved for themselves this past spring. The $286.67 per day legislative pay will go into effect for the 2025 legislative session. 

Other presentations state board members will hear during their July meeting will cover the topics of student screentime, social media and behavior issues in schools. There also will be a report on the current instructional materials used in Kansas schools for mathematics, English language arts, science and pre-K programs.  

In other business, board members are expected to discuss and possibly act on whether to include completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in state regulations governing graduation requirements for the class of 2028. They also will receive information regarding the Career and Technical Education (CTE) cluster reviews. 

Click here for the July agenda meeting materials. The board meeting will be streamed live here.