Month: March 2018

Saturday events

Community recycling, electronic recycling and shredding event planned Saturday
Electronics recycling will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 10, at the Bonner Springs City Library, 201 N. Nettleton Ave., Bonner Springs, Kansas. Old and broken electronics items may be recycled from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 10, in the library’s back parking lot, with Surplus Exchange on hand. A list of accepted electronics items is available at the library, telephone 913-441-2665. Also a Community Shredding and Recycling Event is on Saturday and continues through Wednesday, March 14, at the Bonner Springs City Library. Bring in old bills, files, statements and envelopes and place them in secure carts during library hours. On Thursday, March 15, ProShred will bring a truck and shred the contents of the carts on site. For more information, see http://bonnerlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/RECYCLING2018.jpg.

Knitting class planned
A Shepherd’s Center knitting class is planned from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 10, at the West Wyandotte Library, Conference Room C, 1737 N. 82nd, Kansas City, Kansas.

Family story time planned
Family story time is planned from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 10, at the Main Library, craft room, 625 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. This program is for ages 2 to 6. Participants will read stories, dance and sing.

Family Lego Club planned
Family Lego Club is planned from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 10, at the West Wyandotte Library, craft room, 1737 N. 82nd St., Kansas City, Kansas. Those participating will build what they want, with the Legos provided by the library. Participants may work on their own or build a s a team. All ages are welcome.

Spanish singing lessons scheduled
Spanish singing lessons are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at the South Branch Library, Conference Room B, 3104 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Thisprogram is for children.

Bilingual storytime offered
A bilingual storytime will be offered from 2 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at the Main Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, craft room, 625 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. There will be an hour of stories and songs in English and Spanish for children.

KCK schools to hold public ‘listening tour’ starting Saturday
Members of the Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education will meet the district’s parents, students and community in a public listening tour starting on Saturday, March 10. The March 10 event will be from 1 to 3 p.m. at the South Branch of the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, 3104 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The board will listen to what is important to parents, students and the community concerning the Kansas City, Kansas, Public School district. The listening tours will be a chance for the board to hear first-hand about important opportunities that could help inform future board priorities, a spokesman said. It also gives parents, students and the community a chance to meet new members of the board. Other listening tour dates include: Monday, March 19: 6 to 8 p.m. at Wyandotte High School, 2501 Minnesota Ave.; Saturday, March 31: 1 to 3 p.m. at Washington High School, 7340 Leavenworth Road; Tuesday, April 3: 10 a.m. to noon at the Central Office and Training Center, 2010 N. 59th St. Those unable to attend in person, can engage with the board by sharing their comments or questions during a YouTube Live event on the school district’s page: www.YouTube.com/KCKPSTV .

‘Wasted! The Story of Food Waste’ film and panel discussion to be March 10
A film and panel discussion on “Wasted! The Story of Food Waste” will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at the Bonner Springs City Library, 201 N. Nettleton Ave., Bonner Springs, Kansas. The new film by Anthony Bourdain may change the way people buy, cook, recycle and eat food. A panel discussion will follow the film. For more information, visit http://bonnerlibrary.org/wasted-film-screening/.

‘Shattering the Glass Ceiling’ program planned Saturday
A panel discussion will be part of a Wyandotte County Young Democrats program on “Shattering the Glass Ceiling” planned from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at the Upper Jewell building at Kansas City Kansas Community College, 7250 State Ave. The program begins with a video forum discussion led by Aliyah Shaw, treasurer of the Young Democrats. Then a panel of female leaders in politics is planned, with invited guests including former Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Carol Marinovich; State Sen. Pat Pettey, D-6th Dist.; Brooklynne Mosley, deputy executive director and coordinated campaign director for the Kansas Democratic Party; State Sen. Laura Kelly, a Democratic candidate for governor; Christal Watson, president of the Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce and deputy chief of staff for Mayor David Alvey; and Lauren Martin, political and data director for the Kansas Democratic Party. The panel will be moderated by Rashane Hamby. The program is open to the public. Those who would like to be a member of the Wyandotte County Young Democrats must be 15 to 35 years old, live in Wyandotte County, and be registered as a Democrat.

KCK school board to have special meeting Saturday
The Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education has planned a special meeting at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at the South Branch Library, 3104 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. At the meeting, the board will review responses to the requests for information and proposals for the superintendent search, and select firms or individuals to be interviewed.

Taco dinner fundraiser planned Saturday
A taco dinner and salami bingo are planned at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at Holy Family parish, Monsignor Mejak Hall, 513 Ohio, Kansas City, Kansas. For a $15 donation, participants will receive a bingo card, a taco dinner including three tacos, rice and dessert, and a cold beverage. The event, for those over 21, is sponsored by the Holy Family Church Altar Society.

Higher ed cuts in Kansas shifting onto student tuition

(Graphic by Stephan Bisaha. Source: Kansas Board of Regents)

by Stephan Bisaha, Kansas News Service

Students in Kansas are bearing more than two-thirds of the cost of their education at public universities in the state.

That’s a sharp increase over the last 16 years. In 2001, revenue from tuition was little more than a third of the cost of education — about 35 percent. Today it’s just over 71 percent.

The main reason students — rather than the state — are paying a majority of the cost is years of state funding cuts. Funding for higher education has faced multiple cuts over the past decade. Adjusted for inflation, Kansas universities lost more than a quarter of their state funding since 2001.

That has caused universities to turn to tuition hikes. Since 2001, revenue from tuition for state universities increased more than 2.5 times (also adjusted for inflation).

“This, of course, doesn’t take into account expenses that they have for books or student fees,” said Elaine Frisbie, the vice president for finance and administration for the Kansas Board of Regents.

Those fees have also jumped, at least in part as a reaction to lower state funding.

The future of state funding and tuition is uncertain. While the Kansas Board of Regents is pushing the Legislature to restore $24 million from recent cuts, lawmakers have hinted at the possibility of more cuts to pay for K-12 funding.

Frisbie says the Board of Regents will review possible tuition increases for 2019 this summer, though she suspects the board is concerned about how tuition increases would further block Kansans’ access to higher education.

“Whether they are willing and interested in having the universities continue to increase tuition is going to be an interesting discussion,” Frisbie said.

There’s a third factor that goes into the cost of tuition: the actual cost of education. And that cost has grown over the last 16 years, outpacing inflation.

Some of the rise in education spending is out of the universities’ hands. State university faculty, for example, have a state employee health plan. As premiums go up, so does the cost of education.

“We are looking at ways of how do we reduce our costs and be more efficient,” said Ethan Erickson, the assistant vice president for budget planning at Kansas State University.

“But, at the end of the day, there are going to be some areas where if we want to continue to maintain and provide an excellent educational opportunity we have to able to increase and adjust for those operational costs,” he said.

Despite the increases to tuition, Erickson argues that K-State is worth the cost.

“Kansas State University is an exceptional bargain for our citizens,” he said. “We still provide a great value for our customers.”

Stephan Bisaha, based at KMUW in Wichita, is an education reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KMUW, Kansas Public Radio, KCUR and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. Follow him on Twitter @SteveBisaha. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to the original post.

See more at http://kcur.org/post/higher-ed-cuts-kansas-shifting-cost-student-tuition.

KCKCC’s Jazz Cabaret slated for April 12

Jazz music is filling Kansas City Kansas Community College next month as it holds the annual Jazz Cabaret.

The Jazz Cabaret is at 6 p.m. April 12 in Upper Jewell on the KCKCC main campus, 7250 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.

Tickets are $25 and $15 for children. Tickets are $10 after 7:30 p.m. Children 10 years old and younger are free.

The cabaret will feature the KCKCC Blue Devil Jazz Ensemble (directed by Jim Mair), the KCKCC Latin Jazz Ensemble (directed by Justin Binek), the college’s three vocal jazz ensembles (Vocal Lab, Fusion and The Standard, all directed by John Stafford) and the KC Latin All-Stars, who will be playing at 7:30 p.m.

“The Jazz Cabaret is one of our traditional music concerts at KCKCC (over 20 years now),” said John Stafford, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at KCKCC. “Patrons will enjoy a very wide variety of music performed by our music groups including Latin, swing, blues, R&B, funk, pop and a cappella.”

The first half of the show will feature the student ensembles in performance with a catered taco dinner and drink options of beer, wine or non-alcoholic cocktails. The second half of the production will feature the KC Latin All-Stars who will provide music for everyone to dance.

The event is sponsored by the KCKCC Music Club, with help from the KCKCC Intercultural Center, the Art Department, the Tech-Theatre Department, Media Services, Building and Grounds and the Division of Art and Humanities.

“For the ticket price, attendees get a catered meal, beer/wine, and they’ll get to practice their salsa dancing. We’ll even have two salsa dancing instructors at the show,” Stafford said. “Proceeds go towards both our ACDA/Music Club Student Organization and the Music Department travel fund for next year. Members of our choirs will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City in the fall 2018 semester.”

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact John Stafford at 913-288-7137 or email at [email protected].