Fees for Kansas educators reinstated amid plea for federal funds to be restored

TOPEKA, Kan. (KCTV) - Fees the Kansas Governor promised would be covered by the state have been reinstated as education funding has been pulled by the Trump Administration.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says she recently sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to urge the reinstatement of $22.6 million in federal pandemic relief funds. The Department of Education announced in late March that nearly $3 billion in these funds would be recouped.

However, Gov. Kelly said many states, including Kansas, have already obligated these funds for certain programs and services to benefit students and educators.

“Abruptly stripping this funding is a disservice to the Kansas students and teachers who rely on it to excel in the classroom,” Kelly wrote. “This funding is critical for our schools to continue setting Kansas children up for a strong start to life. I urge the Trump administration to reinstate this funding to ensure our students can continue to access these key resources they need to succeed.”

In Kansas, the Governor indicated that the funds had been critical in the support of student learning recovery and a secure education workforce. Funds had been used to retrain teachers in the science of reading and other evidence-based interventions to support learning.

On April 3, Kelly said the Kansas State Department of Education requested that President Donald Trump’s Administration restore funds to the Sunflower State so it may continue to put the money toward the intended purposes. That request remains under consideration by Secretary McMahon.

In October 2024, the Governor said the state would cover the cost of licensure, fingerprinting and background check fees for early childhood educators with the intention of using these federal funds. Her administration started to waive these fees using federal funds in 2021.

Since 2021, Kelly noted that her efforts have saved childcare providers around $3.34 millin in fees and covered application costs for more than 15,500 providers. Background checks have been provided for more than 39,400 childcare providers.

Kelly concluded that the fees would now be reinstated until the Trump Administration restores the state’s funding allocation.

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