Money, money, who has the money?

The Lawrence school board wants to raise teachers’ salaries, state legislators are voting in favor of increased funding for K-12 schools — but no one knows where the money to accomplish those goals is going to come from. Depending on how you look at it, their actions seem irresponsible, hopeful or just dumb.

It’s one thing to agree in principle to providing more funding to schools or salaries, but the commitment doesn’t mean much if there’s no money to back it up.

Faced with disgruntled teachers who still are waiting for this year’s salary increase, the Lawrence school board put a two-year salary offer on the table Wednesday night. Board members agreed to commit to giving teachers “step” pay increases based on experience or additional education for both this year and next year. Those increases are expected to range from 1.5 percent to 3 percent and will cost the district almost $1 million over the two years.

The teachers deserve the raises, and the board is right not to leave this issue hanging any longer. The problem is finding the money to make good on the board’s promise. There are no funds left for this year, so the full amount will have to come from next year’s budget. If the Kansas Legislature approves additional funding for K-12 schools, that money can go toward the local salary increases; if not the amount would have to be painfully carved from a budget that already has been cut to the bone. About the only remaining option will be to cut some teaching positions to fund raises for other teachers. School Supt. Randy Weseman calls it “financial cannibalism.”

Meanwhile, the Kansas House and Senate both are working on school funding proposals that they hope will address the Kansas Supreme Court’s order to equalize and increase school funding across the state. The House Education Committee magnanimously offers $102 million for schools, while the Senate offers $455 million phased in over three years. The only problem is that neither plan identifies new revenue to cover the costs.

The House plan identifies no funding source; the Senate plan calls for using existing state revenue and cash reserves to pay for the first year of funding. After that, who knows? How can Kansans have confidence that such proposals can be implemented? It’s easy to say you’ll spend money you don’t have and don’t really know how you will get, but it’s not a very responsible way to do business — or to govern. And it can lead to false expectations.

Local school board members are in a spot. They gambled and lost last year on the appearance of additional state funding to provide teacher salary increases. They essentially are doing the same thing now, only this time, the stakes are even higher. Without additional state funding this year, the district will have to make cuts in staff and programs that many local residents hold dear.

The Kansas Legislature has the power to help Lawrence and many other districts across the state. Lawmakers have been instructed by the state Supreme Court to use that power. So far, legislators seem to be dithering in a fantasy world in which they can spend money they don’t have.

Kansas students deserve better. If legislators want to avoid an expensive takeover of the state’s schools by the Kansas Supreme Court, they’d better get into the real world and start coming up with some realistic solutions for school finance.