Topeka ? Behind every silver lining, there’s a dark cloud.

At least that’s what advocates for increased education funding are saying about a $155 million school-finance plan.

While they applaud the funding part, they say they are concerned because it was attached last week in the House to a bill that would spell out what subjects schools must offer and which ones would be optional.

Opponents of that provision say it would narrow what the state is legally responsible for paying, and then provide a list of programs and services that a school district could choose to have.

“The problem is if these items are to now be defined as optional and outside what the state is required by law to fund, they will be more susceptible to being cut,” said Richard Heckler, a Lawrence resident who has supported increased funding for schools.

Optional under the bill would be nursing, counseling, library, music, sports, early childhood programs and more.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who voiced support for the $155 million funding increase, said she was concerned about the underlying bill.

“Those are pretty serious decisions that are being made about what is an important part of our school curriculum and what should be left as optional.

“I was struck by the fact that, for instance, libraries and school counselors and nurses, and some elements that I would think are pretty essential to schools, have been moved over to the maybe-we-do and maybe-we-don’t category. My hope is that there would be a lot more discussion on the underlying concept before a bill is finally passed,” she said.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius speaks Friday in support of the bill passed by the House. Sebelius helped create the bill.

But House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, said the proposal was necessary.

“It begins to address the definition of a suitable education and what the responsibility of the state is,” Mays said.

“It says that here are the things that the schools shall teach, and secondly, here is a list from which schools can also choose. Then it goes on to say, the dollars the state puts into education should first go to fund these. It begins to shift the focus to the classroom,” he said.

The question of what is a suitable education is at the crux of the session’s major debate over school finance.

The Kansas Constitution requires the Legislature to provide “suitable” funding of education. A judge has declared the school-finance system unconstitutional because it underfunds all students, especially minority students.

State District Judge Terry Bullock has given the Legislature until July 1 to fix the system. The state has appealed.