Topeka ? While Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is pressing legislators to increase aid to public schools this year by more than $100 million, senators are working on a smaller package.

Sebelius said Tuesday that proposals to provide districts an additional $80 million or $90 million would represent “a reasonable place” to start discussions but added, “It’s probably not where we’re going to end up.”

The governor said during a brief news conference that providing new dollars to all school districts while expanding bilingual education and programs for children at risk of failing will require a substantial boost in state aid, now $2.6 billion a year.

Legislators who were hoping to avoid a major tax increase this session were dealt a setback Tuesday when state revenue estimates for fiscal year 2005 were announced. The new estimates predicted Kansas will collect about $40 million more in general revenues than previously thought through mid-2005.

Senate Education Chairman Dwayne Umbarger said the revised revenue numbers “were a little disheartening.”

Umbarger and other senators working on a school funding package were counting on a more optimistic financial forecast that would allow the state to increase education funding without a tax increase.

“I still believe that we’re still going to be looking at something in the $60 million to $90 million range,” said Umbarger, R-Thayer.

Sebelius, who proposed a plan to phase in a $304 million spending increase over three years, favors a House-passed proposal to raise sales and income taxes to provide an additional $155 million in state aid to schools during the fiscal year beginning July 1.

The Senate did not approve any education plan before the Legislature began its annual spring recess on April 2. Lawmakers reconvene April 28 to wrap up their business for the year.

The Democratic governor’s position may put her add odds with Republican legislative leaders. Earlier this month, House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, said he expects the Legislature to pass a school finance plan worth between $40 million and $80 million.

At the time, Mays said, “I don’t ever see us going to $100 million.”

And House Appropriations Chairman Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, said it would be difficult to increase school funding beyond the $2.77 billion appropriated in the $10.2 billion state budget for the next fiscal year, already signed by Sebelius.

The current budget’s $2.6 billion in education funding is artificially low, reflecting accelerated spring collections of local property taxes, mandated last year to keep the state budget balanced.

Umbarger said senators are discussing an increase the sales tax to 5.4 percent from 5.3 percent. The House plan would increase the sales tax to 5.5 percent.

Doing nothing this session would be easy but irresponsible, Umbarger said.

He said legislators must make a meaningful effort to address concerns identified in a December order from Shawnee County District Judge Terry Bullock. The judge found the state’s school finance formula unconstitutional, in particular because of how it distributes money to programs for poor and minority students.

Although the case has been appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court, Umbarger said legislators should take steps to respond, knowing the 2005 session will require more revisions to the funding formula.

“The courts will be watching to see if they got our attention — and our response,” he said.

Umbarger said he hopes to have a plan ready April 28 or 29. School districts face a May 1 deadline for notifying teachers if they will be retained for the 2004-05 school year.

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Associated Press Writer John Hanna contributed to this story.