[T.j. Holmes:] Well, Kiran, a woman in Kansas is going to court, along with some other parents in Kansas. They are fighting to get this pay more taxes. Why? They want to make schools better for their children. She has a son in middle school and that middle school is going to be closed and state law says she can't pay more. These parents can't pay more even if they want to. Michelle Trouve is the parent in particular I'm talking about, joining me this morning from Kansas City. Ma'am, thank you so much for taking time out with us. And I guess let's start by explaining this to folks a little bit. There is a cap for how much parents can contribute to those public schools when it comes to property taxes. You can't keep raising your taxes and raising your own taxes to end up putting into the school. Why do you have a problem with that?
[Michelle Trouve, Suing State Of Kansas:] Good morning, T.J. I have a problem with that. I think it's important to understand how the funding formula in Kansas actually works. We receive our funding from three different sources. We have an amount that comes from the state of Kansas and I think examples kind of will help you. It costs about $12,000 to teach a kid in the state of Kansas today in our district and $4,000 of that money comes from our state funding formula.
[Holmes:] Yes.
[Trouve:] Another $1,000 comes from the federal government. And because it's a $12,000 amount, we bridge that gap or we pay that extra $7,000 through our local option budget or otherwise known as our property taxes.
[Holmes:] OK. You want to pay more. Yes, ma'am, go ahead.
[Trouve:] Yes, I want to pay more because we're facing millions and millions of tens of millions of dollars of budget cuts. They are closing schools. They're laying off teachers. They cut off 100 teachers last year. And the state has essentially said it is unfair for you to raise that $7,000, that local option budget. So, if the state is going to cut their portion down obviously, we would like to bridge that gap in some way, shape or form.
[Holmes:] Yes, let's take it up right there for our viewers. And this is the problem that the state has they are saying your district, and we have to be honest here, y'all have more affluent district than a lot of other places, and they are concerned about the inequity. If they would just allow an affluent district that has parents with higher property taxes who can keep raising and raising, you will end up with super schools in some ways. You can recruit the best teachers, pay them the best salaries and other I guess the poor just get poorer. Do you understand that argument?
[Trouve:] Yes, but I have to firmly disagree with that argument, because if you actually looked at who received the funding in the state of Kansas, our district is in the bottom 5 percent of the funding for operating expenses in the state of Kansas, and we are in the bottom 25 percent of funding overall. And if you overlap the fact that we are underfunded, purposely underfunded, and our kids are not the wealthiest in the state of Kansas. Our kids are not the highest performers. Our schools are not the top ranked schools. In fact, the governor's award in the state of Kansas that shows test scores and children's academic achievement out of over 300 awards that have been given in the last four years, our schools have only received two of those awards. So, this whole argument about the rich getting richer just isn't true.
[Holmes:] Do you think, ma'am, that your school district, besides it closing, do you think your child is receiving a lesser education because of the funding? How has your school district been hurt? I guess, besides the school closing, are the students just still getting a good education?
[Trouve:] Well, undoubtedly, no. Their education is clearly suffering. I have a doubt who is 11 years old currently in the sixth grade. She has 27 kids in her class. When she started in first grade at the same elementary school, she only had 21 kids in her class. So, she has increased over six years, six kids in her class. The teachers, obviously, in the state of Kansas, the average pupil per teacher ratio is 12 to 13 to 1. And here, I have my kids during classes with 27 students to one teacher.
[Holmes:] Well, last thing here to you, ma'am, I have to ask, and we have to wrap this up, but I think the larger issue, and you put out a lot of numbers this morning. I know it's a specific case there, but the overall overarching idea is that if you let people with more money pay as much as they want to pay for schools, then, is that fair and is that set up an inequity with kids who are in poorer districts? Do you see that argument, though?
[Trouve:] You know, I think it's a counterargument. I don't see that argument, because what we're fighting for is just to bring our equity up to equal of all the other students in the state of Kansas, and that's what's been a difficult message to communicate is our kids are being underfunded compared to everybody else. So, there is a notion of equity that is important, and every kid in America deserves a really fine education, not just a base education. And I do believe, however, that it's our responsibility to provide that. But if we are willing to sacrifice and come together as a community and say as a community, there's only one pot of money, and if we want to sacrifice buying a new car in a couple of years or taking a family vacation and putting that money towards our children, I believe we have that right.
[Holmes:] Yes. Well, ma'am, it is certainly an interesting something playing out there, that could be playing out in other districts across this country, but I know you all are talking to a judge today. We could hear some more news about it later, but certainly, good luck to you and the folks in the district.
[Trouve:] Thank you.
[Holmes:] And really, all around the state of Kansas right now dealing with education issues. Thank you so much for your time, ma'am. You enjoy your weekend.
[Trouve:] Thank you.
[Holmes:] All right. Eighteen minutes past the hour. Quick break. We'll be right back.