Topeka ? A Republican plan to increase spending on public schools over three years has grown more expensive as a Senate committee has worked on it, but members still haven’t figured out how to pay for it.

Education Committee members also haven’t resolved how to distribute extra dollars. At issue is which school districts will benefit more: small, rural ones or large, urban and suburban and ones.

The committee had hoped to finish its work Thursday but won’t vote on a plan until at least next week.

The plan, drafted mainly by Republican senators, would phase in over three years a $445 million increase in annual spending on education. In the first year, the state would rely on existing revenues and tap its cash reserves, but the plan contains no funding sources for the second and third years and beyond.

The plan as drafted called for a $415 million increase, but the committee added $30 million for vocational education programs, which rural senators said are important to their communities.

The plan would provide additional dollars for special education, bilingual education and programs for at-risk children, all concerns cited by the Kansas Supreme Court in a ruling last month. The court gave legislators until April 12 to provide more money for schools and distribute dollars more fairly.

Of the $445 million, $233 million would spread among all school districts. When committee members discussed exactly how those dollars would be distributed, rural senators worried small districts wouldn’t receive enough.

“That will be the demise of our small schools,” said Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer, R-Grinnell.

But committee Chairwoman Jean Schodorf said the plan would provide new dollars to all districts, even if the committee adopted provisions rural senators found objectionable.

“We’re just going to wait a while and let people think about this,” said Schodorf, R-Wichita.

Meanwhile, Democrats, including Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, questioned whether the plan would meet the Supreme Court’s mandate to improve education funding by April 12.

“To put out a school plan and not tell anyone how it’s funded, I don’t think meets the test of the court or meets the questions of parents and educators and business leaders about where we’re going in the future,” Sebelius told reporters before the committee’s meeting.

She added: “My question is for legislators, if you have a three year plan, tell us where the funds come from. I think that’s only fair to Kansans.”

Last year, Sebelius proposed raising sales and income taxes to boost education funding, but legislators rejected her proposal. Schodorf said proposals to finance the second and third years of the plan will come later.

In other action:

• A bill designed to fight methamphetamine manufacturing by restricting consumers’ access to some cold, flu and allergy medicines won unanimous Senate approval.
• The House approved, 100-18, a bill providing tax breaks to a cellophane maker in hopes of keeping a Topeka-area plant with 188 employees open.
• Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, R-Independence, said his chamber would debate a bill next week to require full disclosure of public employees’ compensation.