In the past year alone, Governor Sam Brownback has cut $61.5 million dollars from the state education budget. In 2015 a cut of $28 million from primary and secondary education and $16 million from higher education. This year on March 1, another cut of $17 million was made from higher education due to February tax collection being lower than expected.

“They are in a deep hole that they are desperately trying to fill,” ELL teacher Jonathan Callison said.

Kansas used to be known for its well funded, high quality education system, but now budget cuts are causing doubts in the current state of the education system to arise.

“Instead of going to a Kansas school I’m leaving and going to a school outside,” senior Andrew Duffy said.

Due to the cuts, the Shawnee Mission School District will receive $1.44 million less in funding a year.

“Colleges can make it up in tuition, but we might have to make cuts and those would probably be from libraries, technology and maybe textbooks,” gifted teacher Hayley Meek said.

In response to the cuts, the  State’s Supreme Court has asked Brownback to transfer more funds to the education budget by June 30 to comply with the state constitution calling for “equitable and adequate” school funding.

“It could mean programs get cut, teachers lose their jobs,” Callison said.

The Court’s action prompted Brownback and the state legislature to threaten to impeach court justices so they will not need to comply with the court’s request.

“You don’t just remove a justice for doing their job,” Callison said.

If more money is not transferred to the education budget the schools might not open for the next school year.

“I think we will have school, but they will take money away from Shawnee Mission, and that’s going to be painful,” Callison said.