Employment and Wages
Kansas educational services employment contracted by a net 373 workers in 2022, a 2.7% reduction. This follows a year of growth in 2021. Sector employment growth and contraction varied, with elementary and secondary schools losing 409 jobs, representing a 17.8% decline. Junior college employment was the only post-secondary sector that saw reduced employment, losing 12 jobs. Meanwhile, colleges and universities gained 32 jobs, and business, computer, and management training grew by 33 jobs, and the technical and trade schools sector saw an increase of 12 jobs. This is eclipsed by the educational support services sector, which lost 288 jobs in 2022. The educational support sector had been the fastest growing education sector pre-pandemic, more than doubling in employment since 2010 and increasing another 2.8% in 2021. The average annual wage for the industry contracted by 1.5% in 2021, after adjusting for inflation, to $39,763. Wages rose in most educational all sectors with the exception of educational support. The fastest growth in wages was seen in other schools and instruction, which grew by 74% in 2022, though it remains the lowest annual wage of $21,289.
News and Developments
- In July 2023, Governor Laura Kelly announced that the Kansas Department for Children and Families awarded $8.1 million in grants to the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center in Topeka and the Phillips Fundamental Learning Center in Wichita. The Phillips Center received the majority of the grant, which will cover construction costs to build a new multipurpose facility.
- In June 2023, the Kansas Board of Regents approved tuition hikes for each of the state’s six public universities, ranging from 5-7%.
- The National Institute for Culinary and Hospitality Education accepted its first cohort of students in March. This new endeavor of the Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology will offer two new programs – Culinary Arts and Hospitality and Events Management.
- In April 2023, Governor Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 66, which will make it easier for educators within the multi-state agreement to obtain licensure reciprocity in Kansas. The bill also includes a segment expanding scholarship opportunities for Kansans studying to become teachers.
