House panel endorses $102M school finance plan
Topeka ? A House committee approved a plan Wednesday to boost annual state spending on education by $102 million — without saying where the money will come from.
The vote came less than 24 hours after the Senate Education Committee endorsed its own plan to raise annual education spending by $455 million. That increase would be phased in over three years and rely on existing state revenues and cash reserves to pay for the first year. The Senate plan does not identify funding sources for the second or third years or beyond.
The House expects to debate the proposal next week. Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, R-Independence, said that chamber could debate its package this week.
The two proposals are the first to emerge in response to a ruling issued by the Kansas Supreme Court. The court ordered legislators to approve a plan by April 12 to increase annual education spending — now at $2.7 billion — and distribute the money more fairly.
The House package would increase base state aid to all 301 school districts and raise spending on bilingual education, special education and programs targeting poor children.
Rep. Kathe Decker, chairwoman of the House school finance committee, said the package looked much like what she and Republican leaders had expected at the start of the session.
“We addressed numerous items from the Supreme Court, if not all of them,” said Decker, R-Clay Center.
However, committee Democrats opposed the package and planned to issue a minority report.
Rep. Bruce Larkin, D-Baileyville, said the package ignores the court’s admonition to improve school funding based on costs rather than politics.
“It appears that a number of things were added to the bill only to get votes,” Larkin said.




