Topeka ? The Senate approved a bill Wednesday that provides financial incentive to school districts that consolidate.

The Senate voted 35-4 to send the measure to Gov. Bill Graves. The House approved the bill earlier this week.

	Long sessionsThe longest legislative sessions in Kansas history, according to House and Senate journals and AP archives: Year Wrap-up Total 2002* 15 days 105 days 1991 12 days 103 days 1990 10 days 100 days 1992 10 days 100 days 1988 7 days 98 days 1989 7 days 98 days 2001 13 days 98 days *2002 wrap-up in session through Wednesday.

The measure provides that when two districts merged, their state aid for three years would equal the combined total of what each received before the consolidation.

Currently, the state provides extra money to its smallest school districts, and two small districts can receive more money separately than if they were combined into one larger district.

Kansas spends about $2.3 billion on elementary and secondary education, or $3,870 per pupil. Districts with declining enrollment receive extra state aid, but administrators say the compensation does not cover the aid they lose from falling enrollment.

The bill was a product of legislative discussions following last year’s of a study that analyzed districts’ academic and financial efficiency and identified as potential candidates for mergers.