Topeka ? State senators today are expected to consider a bill that would allow Douglas County residents to vote on a sales tax increase for public schools.

Not even the bill’s sponsor is expecting the legislation to pass.

“We’ll take our chances on the floor,” Sen. Mark Buhler, R-Lawrence, said. “It doesn’t look too good.”

That has left school officials looking to other options, such as a city sales tax, if the bill is defeated. They’re also supporting a bill that would allow local districts to increase their local option budgets.

The sales tax bill on Tuesday was passed out of the Senate Assessments and Taxation Committee without recommendation. It would allow Douglas County voters to consider a countywide half-cent sales tax to support public schools. The legislation is necessary because Douglas County already levies the maximum amount of sales tax allowed under state law.

The additional tax would generate nearly $5.9 million, including more than $4.2 million for Lawrence public schools.

Buhler said many of his colleagues felt the bill “sidesteps the overall policy” for school funding, though Johnson County recently approved a similar sales tax. Further complicating the issue, he said, was a ruling by Shawnee County District Judge Terry Bullock that the state must revamp its school-finance formula.

“There are a lot of reasons to vote against (the bill) and only one to vote for it,” Buhler said.

Lawrence School Board President Austin Turney said he didn’t have much hope for the bill, either. Turney said school officials might turn to the Lawrence City Commission to present a city-only sales tax initiative to Lawrence voters. Such a city tax would generate a projected $5.4 million annually.

6News video: School sales tax plan goes to Senate District may have to choose between pay raises, smaller classes (2-18-04) Eudora officials want in on school-finance sales tax (2-11-04) Forum panelists denounce sales tax for education (1-8-04)

“It’s our least-favored way of going, but it’s a possibility,” Turney said.

Lawrence Supt. Randy Weseman said there might be another option for increasing school funding this year. He noted two bills introduced in the House that would allow school districts to increase their local option budgets from 25 percent to 30 percent of a district’s total budget.

Such a property tax increase would generate $2 million for Lawrence schools, Weseman said.

“I would imagine the board would be willing to do that, to consider an increase in local property taxes,” he said.

Though Weseman said he thought district officials would support the local option budget increase, he said he would be frustrated if legislators opted to take that route while denying Douglas County voters the chance to raise sales taxes.

“It’s peculiar,” Weseman said. “There’s a lot of irony here. There seems to be general confusion.”

Lawrence business leaders haven’t decided which method for school funding they’d support. Larry McElwain, chairman of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber’s first preference was that the state fund schools using the existing tax structure.

Beyond that, he wasn’t prepared to endorse another plan.

“Our first choice is that the funding formula be looked at,” McElwain said. “Any other option is an increase in taxes, either property or sales tax. We’d want to be very careful about moving into that.”