Overland Park ? The state’s two main candidates for governor, making their first joint appearance since last month’s primaries, promised Wednesday to protect public education but differed on how that goal could be reached.

Democrat Kathleen Sebelius and Republican Tim Shallenburger spoke at a forum before the Johnson County Bar Assn.

“More than anything, the next governor must be committed to quality education for every child in the state, and to protecting the funds needed for education,” said Sebelius, currently the state’s insurance commissioner. “My commitment to that goal is unwavering.”

Shallenburger told those in the crowded hotel ballroom he also would make education a priority, starting with fixing the state’s funding formula for school districts.

The state funds each district primarily on a per-pupil basis, currently at $3,863 per pupil. Each school district also can levy additional property taxes equal to 25 percent of its general fund budget as a local option budget.

“The formula is broken,” said Shallenburger, who currently serves as state treasurer. “Funding for each district per pupil will not work.”

The issue resonates in Johnson County, where voters in August approved a sales tax designated mostly for the county’s schools, which have long had a reputation for excellence.

Neighboring counties have threatened to challenge the tax in court, saying it would give Johnson County an unfair advantage over other districts.

The county sales tax is an unusual way to raise money for schools. The Johnson County tax was approved under a state statute that permits counties to give grants for economic development. Supporters said schools drive economic development and therefore should be eligible for the funds.

Sebelius, the Democrat, has picked up some support in heavily Republican Johnson County because of her pledge to protect education funding. Shallenburger, a conservative Republican, has promised not to raise taxes if he is elected governor even to fund public education.

Local control pushed

Shallenburger said the state should remove the 25 percent cap on levies and give local districts more control over how education dollars are spent.

“The state has to determine what a suitable education is, and then let the people, parents and local school officials determine if they want to go above that funding,” Shallenburger said. “I believe that is how the process should work.”

Sebelius said she also supports local control of education funding. But she said the state has to recognize that some districts do not have the revenues needed to ensure a quality education.

“The state has not done its job of funding suitable education for everyone,” Sebelius said. “We can’t walk away from our responsibility and say we will just leave it up to the local districts.”

Calls to cut waste

Asked for specifics on how to fund education during the state’s current budget crisis, both candidates said only that they would find ways to cut waste in other government operations.

As she has throughout her campaign, Sebelius pledged a “top-to-bottom” review of state departments to rid them of outdated or redundant operations.

“That’s where you have to start the conversation,” she said. “Only when we completely blow the lid off the government will we be able to determine if we have the money for education and other priorities.”

Shallenburger said if he is elected, he would put together a Cabinet that would understand it could not solve the state’s budget problems by raising taxes.

“We will make clear that the alternative will not be to go back to taxpayers every year and ask for more money,” he said. “We pledge not to do that.”

Senior differences

The candidates also disagreed on funding for medical care for the state’s senior citizens.

Saying “the state cannot be everything to everyone,” Shallenburger said Kansas leaders should reconsider eligibility requirements for medical services programs to make sure the money is going to those who need it most.

Sebelius said she has long supported state programs that help older Kansans with preventative home health care to keep them out of nursing homes.

“This is a problem that we had better take seriously,” she said. “With the state’s population getting older, every dollar spent on prevention is a dollar well spent.”