Topeka ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed budget legislation Thursday despite what she said was a “highly disturbing” education funding provision threatening to create future financial problems.

She continued criticizing a plan pushed through the Legislature by Republican leaders that would increase annual spending on public schools by $127 million. The $11.3 billion budget bill includes the extra dollars for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Republican leaders wanted to increase aid to schools without increasing taxes to meet a Kansas Supreme Court mandate. Sebelius and her fellow Democrats contend their plan, relying on existing revenues and tapping the state’s cash reserves, is fiscally irresponsible.

Otherwise, much of the budget bill followed Sebelius’ spending recommendations, so much that the governor didn’t veto any line items.

“There is one major and highly disturbing revision,” Sebelius said in a statement, referring to the education funding plan.

She added: “I commend the Legislature for working with me to restore fiscal order to state government. Unfortunately, we may well be at the high water mark of this restoration.”

Including the education plan, the bill Sebelius signed would increase spending in fiscal 2006 by $433 million, or about 4 percent.

But work on the fiscal 2006 budget isn’t complete. Legislators still must consider one last spending bill, tying up loose ends, after they reconvene Wednesday.

The House Appropriations Committee already has finished its version of the bill, a measure that would add about $105 million to the fiscal 2006 budget. The Senate Ways and Means Committee began work on its own version Thursday.

Legislators are expected to provide an additional $54 million to cover previously unanticipated costs associated with social services for the needy. Those costs have increased dramatically in recent years, as economic problems have made more people eligible. Also, medical costs have shot up.

While education funding is a major issue, Senate President Steve Morris said rising social services costs represented a bigger issue.

“If it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t have a problem with school finance or other essential state services,” said Morris, R-Hugoton.