Wichita group demands USD 259 student data KSN-TV

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Wichita, Kansas — The Kansas Policy Institute (KPI) is asking the Sedgwick County district attorney’s office to investigate USD 259. The KPI filed an open records complaint against the school district.

“This is becoming an epidemic of local governments,” says Dave Trabert with KPI. “I should point out state government is great and has been regardless the administration. But local governments are a different issue.”

Trabert says his group has asked twice to see student achievement numbers.

“And twice they said no,” says Trabert.

The numbers were brought up in open court. There is a lawsuit, Gannon V. State of Kansas, that just wrapped in court last month. The lawsuit is going after more school funding from the State of Kansas.

But some school board members with USD 259 in Wichita say, the numbers brought up in court are preliminary numbers. That’s the reason they are not handing them over to KPI.

“We have worked very hard over the years to be very forthright and we’ve tried to disclose the information when we have it,” says Lynn Rogers.

Rogers is a board member for USD 259.

“And that’s what we’re planning to do with this,” says Rogers. “But this latest data set IS preliminary.”

Trabert says that’s not good enough.

“Kansas Open Records Act… Kansans are entitled by law to have access to information that is public and falls under KORA,” says Trabert. “People are entitled to know how their money is being spent or what the government entity is doing. What are the outcomes? They’re entitled to see that information.  And it you don’t take it to the next step and try to have the law enforced, then it only becomes worse for the next person who comes in.”

A spokeswoman for the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office says an investigation is not out of the question with this response:

“If it appears there is a possible violation, after initial review, the matter will be investigated further.”

Trabert says school districts in Dodge City, Hutchinson and Kansas City have already given the preliminary data to the KPI.

But Trabert says his group wants transparency across the board. The KPI plans on being at the Sedgwick County Commission meeting Wednesday. KPI wants the county commission to force the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition to turn over data it deems is public, under KORA.

“We are going to continue to pursue open records violations until we get the laws established or changes,” explains Trabert, “whatever has to be, so that there is real transparency and that the taxpayers have no issue getting the information they are entitled to.”

Rogers says the school numbers will be released, publicly, in about two weeks.

“We have not even seen the exact numbers yet,” explains Rogers. “We only have preliminary numbers at this point.”

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