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Kansas

U.S.
Rank
#44 F
Overall PPI Score: 59%
Kansas Overview
Opportunity
Innovation
Policy Environment

Charter Schools

Score
65%
Grade: D
Rank: #39

What we call a "law-in-name-only," Kansas has the weakest charter law in the nation, leaving school approvals, operations and funding entirely up to the very districts that those schools founders believe do not work for their children. Therefore the few schools that do exist are just extensions of the school districts that approved them and new thoughts and approaches by new people to open new schools are discouraged.

Fast Facts:

Law enacted: 2014

Most recently amended: 2023

Law passed: 1994

Number of charter schools: 9

Number of charter students: 2,500

Cap on the number of schools allowed: No.

Virtual charters allowed: Yes.

Charter Law Analysis:

AUTHORIZERS: School districts are the sole authorizers with approval by the State Board of Education.

GROWTH: Kansas does not cap the number of charter schools, but there has been no growth in the state's charter sector in recent years. The district-controlled authorizing makes growth unlikely.

OPERATIONS: Charter schools receive no blanket exemptions from regulations that affect district schools. Instead, they must request exemptions from specific regulations, including collective bargaining agreements, in their applications, which is why there are so few schools or applicants.

EQUITY: The state's charter law does not address charter school funding at all. This leaves funding decisions entirely to district authorizers, which inevitably leads to inequity.


Choice Programs (Scholarships, Vouchers, Tax Credits, etc.)

Score
50%
Grade: F
Rank: #50

A modest Tax Credit Scholarship program is a life-saver to over a thousand students but a low cap on dollars that can be raised against the tax credits and the fact that the program requires fundraising to give students opportunities makes this program so limiting that it's hard to call it a choice program. Policymakers should support creating new programs like neighboring Oklahoma so that schools like those exemplified by Yass Prize Finalist Urban Preparatory Academy in Wichita can help more institutions to thrive and reach more students.

Fast Facts:

Number of programs: 1

Statewide participation: 2,300

Types of programs: Tax-credit scholarship

Choice Laws & Analysis:

Tax-Credit Scholarship
Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program
Law Enacted: 2014
Most Recently Amended: 2025
Kansas' tax-credit scholarship program, enacted in 2014, gives individuals and businesses that donate to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) 70% tax credit value, and initially served 632 low-income students. In 2023, a broadening of scholarship eligibility allowed students from families earning up to 250% of the federal poverty level to apply, reaching approximately $75,000 annually for a family of four. The budget cap remains unchanged at $10 million, and while there is still no enrollment cap the lack of an increase in funds will severely limit the number of students able to take advantage of the program.

Teacher Quality

USE OF STUDENT DATA IN EVALUATING TEACHER PREP

"Kansas does not currently use student achievement or growth data to hold teacher preparation programs accountable."

This is just one indicator from The National Council on Teacher Quality, which collects and analyzes states on how well their policies and practices lead to well-prepared teachers. They collect data on state laws and regulations concerning the preparation of teachers, the policies that govern their oversight and the contracts that guide their employment. Learn more about your state here.