Lawrence Journal-World 09-28-13

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KU smaller but smarter, officials say

Getting their feet wet

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Enrollment down again, but freshman class has record ACTs By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com

Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photos

SIXTH-GRADER ZOE BITTERS, center, inspects her net for aquatic life during a Liberty Memorial Central Middle school field trip to Potter Lake. The youngsters were working with Kansas University students in Bob Hagen’s Field Ecology class Friday, participating in experiments and studies at several stations on and around the lake.

ABOVE: Sixth-graders examine a small fish captured during the field trip. RIGHT: Sixthgrader Billy Gibler checks out a sample of pond water.

Kansas University’s fall enrollment is down for the fifth straight year, but school officials touted a larger freshman class that had record ACT scores. Total enrollment for the current semester is 27,784, which is 155 fewer students than in fall 2012, according to figures released Friday. It is also 2,318 students fewer than the school’s 30,102 in 2008. That is a 7.7 percent drop in 5 years. Fall enrollment at the Lawrence and Edwards campuses stands at 24,435 students, which is a drop of 142; and 3,349 students at the KU Medical Center, a deGray-Little cline of 13. KU rival Kansas State University recorded an increase of 203 students to make its 24,581-student enrollment more than KU’s Lawrence and Edwards campuses. K-State’s total, however, includes its campus in Salina and its veterinary school, and it still trails KU’s total enrollment, counting the medical school. Despite the lower total enrollment numbers at KU, officials focused on KU’s freshman class of 4,000 students, up 6.1 percent from last year’s figure of 3,771. The average freshman ACT score was 25.3, up two-tenths of a point from last year’s average. More than one-fifth, 21.8 percent, are minority students, an increase from 21.3 percent last year. “Students are recognizing the advantages of studying at a flagship research university and all the opportunities that come with bePlease see KU, page 2A

School funding up or down? Court to hear both sides funding to its lowest point since cludes everything from teacher the mid-1990s. salaries and retirement contriBut others claim just butions to boiler repairs the opposite, arguing that and federal subsidies for “total” funding — countschool lunches — has ining all state, federal and deed increased since the local sources of revenue last school finance case — is actually at or near an was resolved by the Kanall-time high. sas Supreme Court in According to state COURTS 2006. budget reports, there is But almost everyone evidence to support both argu- who works with school budgets ments. on a day-to-day basis will argue “Total” spending — which in- that the amount of money avail-

By Peter Hancock phancock@ljworld.com

In a little more than a week, the Kansas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a lawsuit claiming that school funding in Kansas is unconstitutionally low. Plaintiffs in the case argue that since the Great Recession began in 2008, state lawmakers have cut public funding to schools, reducing per-pupil

able to pay for teachers and general operating expenses — what is often called “classroom” spending — definitely has gone down. “The operating money is down, but KPERS (the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System) and bond and interest is up,” Deputy Education Commissioner Dale Dennis said.

What the numbers say According to figures pub-

lished by the Kansas Division of the Budget, in annual documents called the Comparison Report, “total” public spending on Kansas schools grew almost 24 percent from 2006 to 2013, to $5.24 billion. In addition, total state spending has grown about 17 percent, to $3.4 billion in the current fiscal year. However, according to budPlease see SCHOOLS, page 2A

Consultant traveling state to set the record straight on health care By Giles Bruce gbruce@ljworld.com

Sheldon Weisgrau is here to tell you the truth about health care reform. Much of the news about the Affordable Care Act has been filtered through politics, he says, so what often makes it to the public is either distorted, dishonest or flat-out wrong. The Lawrence health consultant is on a mission to change that.

For the past two-and-a-half years, Weisgrau, director of the Health Reform Resource Project — which is funded by six Kansas health foundations— has been traveling the state, informing Kansans about the intricacies of the 2010 health care law. But lately, with major pieces of the act being implemented soon, he’s been busy. During the course of what he calls the “ACA Road Trip,” Weisgrau has talked

Business Classified Comics Deaths

Low: 48

Today’s forecast, page 12B

Please see HEALTH, page 2A

Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo

INSIDE

Thunderstorms

High: 74

SHELDON WEISGRAU, director of the Health Reform Resource Project, Lawrence, gives a presentation to the Kansas Homecare Association Wednesday at Holiday Inn Lawrence. Weisgrau is traveling the state educating Kansans about the Affordable Care Act.

to hundreds of chambers of commerce, Rotary clubs and health care organizations to help people better understand one of the largest pieces of health care legislation to be instituted in decades. That hasn’t always been easy, not when the subject matter is also one of the most controversial laws in decades. People have stormed out of meetings, screamed at him,

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Events listings Horoscope Movies Opinion

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Puzzles Society Sports Television

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Firebirds forge ahead Free State’s football team trounced top-ranked and defending 6A champion Shawnee Mission West on homecoming. Page 1B

Vol.155/No.271 30 pages


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