Two members of the Lawrence education community praised the Friday decision from the Kansas Supreme Court to open schools on schedule in August and accept a $148.4 million funding increase that was approved in the Kansas Legislature on Wednesday.

Scott Morgan, a former Lawrence school board president who left office in 2003, currently has one child attending Lawrence High, one at Southwest Junior High and one at Sunflower Elementary.

With the school funding crisis apparently over, Moran was able to find some humor.

“I’m thrilled as a parent because there’s only so much togetherness you can take with your kids,” Morgan said. “Obviously, I’m kidding, but it was disconcerting to think that kids wouldn’t be able to go to school because grown-ups couldn’t get it together.”

Still, the entire school funding debacle has left Morgan less than optimistic about future funding battles.

“This decision was only positive compared to the ridiculousness that had been going on,” he said. “We still have no real sense that they are going to deal with this issue until their backs are up against the wall again.”

Karen Warner also voiced her pleasure with Friday’s culmination.

“It’s a happy ending. It’s great news. I was very worried when the constitutional amendment might have been tacked on, but I’m glad it came out this way,” said Warner, a math coach at Prairie Park Elementary and former Deerfield Elementary site council member and parent of two children who have graduated from the Lawrence system.

Warner said her main concern during the special session was that the court would close schools, and as an educator, she was glad to see the extra funds.

“I think it’s badly needed. We’ve been underfunded for several years,” she said.

And Warner hopes that more finances for the Lawrence district will benefit district employees, recruitment of young teachers and keep the local population educated, which is something she as a teacher considers vital, she said.

– Staff writer Jay Senter contributed to this report.