New contract required for City of Emporia school board representation

In an article which appeared in the Independent Messenger on June 15, 2022, an Emporia City Council Member was quoted as stating that regarding the City’s share of local public school funds, the City of Emporia is “…being taxed without representation”. That is a catchy phrase which generated a newspaper headline, but it is a phrase which is misleading and incorrect.

The City is not “taxed” its fair share of costs to educate students. The City is charged a fair and reasonable amount to educate each City student in the County public schools, and the fact is that the amount charged to the City is the same amount paid by the County. However, for fiscal year 2022, the County paid a 12% premium above and beyond its required share. The phrase “taxation without representation” suggests arbitrariness and unfairness. Since the County pays the same amount per student as is charged to the City each year, there is nothing arbitrary or unfair about the charge, and certainly the local school costs charged to the City do not represent “taxation without representation”.