Photo by Stephen KorandaSome Republicans are calling on the Democratic candidate for governor to remove his appointee from a commission studying school efficiency. KPR Statehouse reporter Stephen Koranda reports.
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Republican Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has criticized his Democratic challenger Paul Davis over the appointment. Davis, the top Democrat in the Kansas House, selected former Republican state Senator John Vratil to sit on the education study group.
Brownback pointed to a quote from Vratil from 2011 when he said consolidation could be inevitable for rural school districts. Brownback says the choice shows Davis doesn’t support rural schools.
Around a dozen Republican Kansas state senators have also called for Vratil to be removed, saying consolidation hurts small towns.
Davis says that he stands behind rural districts and he is opposed to forced consolidation.
A spokesperson for Davis, Chris Pumpelly, calls this political posturing and says the governor’s school funding policies have hurt rural districts.