Topeka ? The major party candidates for governor showcased their stances on education Friday with one calling for increased state funding and the other sounding a call for increased local funding.

Democrat Kathleen Sebelius repeated earlier statements that she wants to increase funding to public schools, a move her opponent, Republican Tim Shallenburger, said would require a tax increase something he’s set against.

Sebelius has said she can find more money for schools through savings elsewhere in the budget.

The candidates’ comments came during separate appearances before a joint meeting of an education task force and members of the State Board of Education.

“My priority will include enhancing the funding of public education,” Sebelius said.

She spoke favorably of recommendations made in a recent study on a suitable level of funding for public schools. The study said Kansas school funding has failed to keep up with inflation and that base state aid per pupil should be increased from $3,863 to $4,650, an increase that would require about $620 million.

“Our challenge is to reach that goal as quickly as possible,” she said.

Shallenburger, however, was skeptical of the study.

He said lawmakers have been generous to public schools and that because of the current slumping economy “we have to be reasonable.”

Without mentioning Sebelius by name, he said he didn’t think it was “honest” to say school funding can be increased in the amount called for by the study without a tax increase.

Shallenburger has pledged not to raise taxes. Sebelius has refused to sign a no-tax pledge but has said she is not considering a tax increase. If elected, she plans to commission an audit of state government and would use savings produced by the review to increase school funding.

The two candidates also differed on the role of local school districts in raising extra funds for public schools.

Shallenburger said local districts should be allowed to supplement state funding by any amount they want. Limiting local school districts in providing extra funding is “un-American,” he said.

But Sebelius said requiring local districts to provide extra funding for public schools would result in an unequal education system because wealthy districts would be able to raise much more money than poorer districts.

Shallenburger also complained about student testing, saying the state was doing too much testing and that it was costing too much money.

State Board of Education members said the tests were needed to ensure that students statewide were getting proper educations.

The board members said they were concerned about the extra testing that will be required under President Bush’s education law, but said there was nothing they could do to limit federally mandated tests.