The school finance bill passed on Friday by the Kansas Legislature became law today with the governor’s signature.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt today asked the Kansas Supreme Court to approve the school finance law. It was filed under a joint stipulation submitted by the attorney general and the counsel for the plaintiff school districts who filed suit, including the Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools.
In signing the school finance bill, Gov. Sam Brownback issued this statement: “I am pleased to sign this bill ensuring that Kansas schools remain open. As I said when I called the special session, our focus was on making sure the Kansas Supreme Court did not close schools over 1 percent of the $4 billion spent on education in Kansas.
“I appreciate the hard work of legislators which began prior to the start of the session in a series of meetings. The effort to bring together legislators, educators and attorneys resulted in a bill supported by all parties and a stipulation by plaintiff’s attorney that House Bill 2001 satisfies the equity portion of this litigation.
“This bill passed the House and Senate with strong majorities, showing the legislature’s commitment to addressing the issue in a timely manner. I congratulate House Speaker Ray Merrick and Senate President Susan Wagle for an efficient and focused special session. I thank all the legislators who worked hard to protect our schools from the threat of closure, especially Representative Ron Ryckman, Jr., chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and Senator Ty Masterson, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.”
According to Schmidt, the joint stipulation presented to the court states: “[T]he State and Plaintiff Districts jointly request that the Court enter an order acknowledging that the Legislature has currently satisfied the Court’s orders … regarding equity, that Kansas schools are currently funded in compliance with the equity requirement of [the Kansas Constitution], and therefore that no remedy is necessary or appropriate at this time.”
If granted by the court, the joint request would ensure schools remain open and operating after June 30. A copy of the joint stipulation is available at http://1.usa.gov/299CRXx.
For an earlier story, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/school-finance-agreement-seen-as-tremendous-victory-for-public-education/.