Medicare reimbursements are the problem, and that's the federal government. We need more service requirements for students attending KU School of Medicine. More than one half of graduating students leave the state. We have begun to beef up college and university programs to meet the needs of rural communities. Logically, it's funded through the collection of income and sales tax rather than relying heavily on property taxes.
Property taxes are more appropriate for maintaining local governments.
Graves agrees that the education budget needs to be increased and thinks that can be accomplished without a tax increase. His task force studying the issue and will provide more information. Not only rural areas are experiencing declining enrollment numbers, urban schools are as well. The challenge will be to find a way to help those districts. We are going to have to bite the bullet and continue to funds those schools.