Foster children moving to new homes might mean a new school district. That means education records, course credits and other information need to be transferred to a new school. That can delay enrollment.
Blaise Mesa
Blaise Mesa is The Beacon’s Kansas Statehouse reporter. He has covered the Kansas Statehouse for The Beacon since Nov. 2023 after reporting on social services for the Kansas News Service and crime and local government for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He has a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism with a concentration in radio from Columbia College Chicago.
Posted inState Government
One Big Beautiful Bill will close grocery stores and create new food deserts in Kansas
Researchers and grocery stores say the Republican-backed law only makes it harder for grocery stores to survive, and the profit margins are already low.
Posted inState Government
Kansas might pay $80 million under SNAP cuts from Big Beautiful Bill
Federal legislation is making Kansas pay more for food assistance, but the state can lower its bill.
Posted inState Government
Kansas inspector wants more scrutiny of foster care group homes amid complaints
Congregate care facilities house foster children in settings ranging from drop-in day programs to inpatient mental health care. Advocates say these buildings need more oversight to curb suspected abuse of children.
Posted inState Government
Panasonic is scaling back production at its De Soto factory but can still get all taxpayer incentives from Kansas
Panasonic is investing billions of dollars in a state-of-the-art electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto, Kansas. But the company is slowing down full production in response to the Trump administration’s clean energy policies and slumping Tesla sales.
Posted inState Government
The Royals draw far more fans than the Chiefs. Does that mean a baseball stadium is better for Kansas and Missouri?
Even the poorest-drawing baseball teams can attract more than 1 million fans in a year. There is no football stadium big enough to sell that many regular-season tickets. Should Kansas and Missouri prioritize the Royals?
Posted inState Government
Republicans redouble push to change Kansas Supreme Court selection process
Republicans still support changing the process even after watching the most recent Supreme Court nominating process. Democrats say the process is working.
Posted inState Government
Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill would kick Kansans off food assistance
The federal proposal wants to shift the cost of the SNAP program to states. Kansas doesn’t have the money to offset losses.
Posted inState Government
Turmoil over Trump’s tariffs, fate of tax credits shadows De Soto’s Panasonic $4B battery plant
Experts say the Panasonic plant could delay hiring while it waits out economic uncertainty. The company can still collect hundreds of millions of dollars from Kansas even if it does.
Posted inEducation
Kansas sees 12,000-student increase in special education over the past decade
Local districts are offering additional pay or partnering with universities to attract and retain staff. But it’s hard to find qualified teachers.