Topeka — Atty. Gen. Phill Kline and Sen. John Vratil, R-Leawood, plan to ask the State Board of Education to change standards used to determine whether schools are doing a good job.
Vratil, an attorney and key lawmaker on school finance, said Monday that the move is in the best interest of the state. But at least one board member, Bill Wagnon, a Democrat from Topeka whose district includes Lawrence, said it is meant to undermine school funding lawsuits.
"This issue is the most important thing facing schools today," Wagnon said.
The discussion between Kline, Vratil and the board is scheduled for Aug. 9 and comes at a time when the state is in the midst of unprecedented supervision by the Kansas Supreme Court over school finance.
Under court orders, the Legislature has increased school funding nearly 10 percent, or $290 million, for the coming school year.
Vratil said the state may be setting itself up for future lawsuits because of school accreditation regulations that require in future years that every student reach a proficient level in reading, math and science.
Schools will never be able to reach that level, and therefore may face lawsuits from students' parents who allege the state hasn't provided enough funding to accomplish the task, he said.
"It occurs to me there is the potential for the lawsuit in the future when the schools lose accreditation because they can't meet these performance standards. I don't call that an end-around, I call it reality," Vratil said.
But Wagnon said changing the standards is simply a way to protect the state from liability, when the state should instead focus on ways to achieve the goals of proficiency.
School Finance
More about school finance
- Webcast of live arguments before the Kansas Supreme Court (requires Windows Media Player)
- Brief of the Montoy suit (.pdf)
- Timeline of events in school finance lawsuit
- 6News video: School finance bill to face court
- Plaintiffs: School finance bill fails grade (06-13-06)
- State wants high court to dismiss school suit (06-02-06)
- Legislature approves school finance plan (05-10-06)
- Chat with Bob Corkins, Kansas Education Commissioner (02-02-06)
- House roll call on $148.4 million school finance plan (07-07-05)
- Supt. Weseman's contingency plan (07-06-05)
- More about school finance »
Related documents
- Conference Committee on Senate Bill 549
- House bill info
- Senate bill info
- Kansas public schools cost study
- Kansas public schools cost study executive summary
- Public Education Finances 2004 (.pdf)
- Senate roll call on $148.4 million school finance plan
- Supreme Court's Show Cause Order (07-02-05)
- Supreme Court's Order Denying Extension (.pdf)
- Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1603 (.pdf)
- Supplemental Note on Resolution No. 1603 (.pdf)
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