Top Republican lawmakers hope to pass a school funding plan that would avoid an increase in state spending while attempting to satisfy a Kansas Supreme Court order to help poor school districts.
The Senate planned to debate a bill Thursday that redistributes about $83 million of the state's $4 billion-plus in annual aid to its 286 school districts.
If the measure passes the GOP-dominated Senate, the Republican-controlled House was expected to schedule a vote later Thursday.
The measure shifts some of the $83 million to poor districts but also guarantees that no district sees a reduction in the aid it's been promised for the next school year.
Lawyer says Kansas court will reject school plan
A lawyer representing four school districts suing the state over education funding is predicting that the Kansas Supreme Court will reject a school finance plan top Republican lawmakers hope to pass.
Newton attorney John Robb said the plan up for debate Thursday in the Senate doesn't really change anything for poor districts.
The measure redistributes $83 million of the state's $4 billion-plus in annual aid to its 286 school districts in an effort to comply with a Supreme Court order last month to help poor school districts. But the plan guarantees that no district loses any aid for the next school year and doesn't boost overall state spending.
Robb represents the Dodge City, Hutchinson, Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas school districts. They sued the state in 2010.
The court threatened in last month's ruling to shut down public schools statewide if lawmakers did not fix the problems by June 30.
