Waitress to governor: Give tip to Kansas schools

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A waitress who left a message for Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback on his receipt at a barbeque restaurant said she thought it was more important to promote education funding than to get a tip.

Chloe Hough of Lawrence was working her last shift Saturday night at Boss Hawg's in Topeka when she waited on the governor. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported (http://bit.ly/1DNdD5S ) that she later posted his receipt on Facebook, showing the line for the tip crossed out and the phrase "Tip the schools" written beside it.

Hough declined to say how Brownback reacted to the receipt. A call to the governor's spokeswoman on Sunday was not immediately returned.

She also stressed that she had not discussed her plans with any manager or the owner of the restaurant, where she had worked for about a year.

"It's a great restaurant and I didn't do it to hurt them," she said.

Education funding is important to Hough because her sister receives special education services and because she believes it encourages social mobility, she said.

Her sister "has lost so many dedicated educators who've been cut due to budget cuts," she said. "I think it should matter to everyone."

Brownback signed a bill in April that dropped the state's old school funding formula and substituted it with block grant funding. Supporters said the block grants would provide more stable funding for schools but many school districts have reported their funding was cut and are anticipating further budget cuts in the next few years. At least six school districts in Kansas plan to close a few days early this May because of budget concerns.

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Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.com