by Stephen Koranda, KHI News Service
Gov. Sam Brownback on Wednesday set June 23 as the date for a special session for state lawmakers to come up with a plan for financing public schools.
The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that funding disparities among school districts must be reduced by the end of the month or schools will be closed.
The governor said he disagrees with the court’s ruling, but he and lawmakers seem to be coalescing around the idea of providing $38 million in additional funding for schools to comply with the court ruling.
Brownback said work would start in committees before lawmakers return to Topeka.
“I’m seeing several plans now where you use a variety of different sources of funding to come up with the $38 million,” Brownback said. “I think that’s part of having the committees meet ahead of time and to come up with a plan the committees agree with that we can then run.”
The money could be shifted from other government agencies or other parts of the school funding formula to comply with the court ruling, Brownback said, adding that it’s unlikely lawmakers will consider a tax increase.
“There are a number of places being looked at. Those plans are still being kicked around with people,” he said. “There are any range of places, including in the education funding formula itself.”
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