Topeka ? Kansas lawmakers must return to the Statehouse this month to comply with the Supreme Court’s mandate to come up with more money for public schools by July 1.

But one immediate decision facing senators is where to meet. The Senate chamber is undergoing extensive renovations and is a large empty room with bare wood floors.

“We will have to improvise some way. The Old Supreme Court might be one place we could meet,” said Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, referring to the large Statehouse meeting room once used by the state’s highest court.

Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will meet with legislative leaders next week before setting a date.

“Today, the Legislature’s inability to fulfill its obligation to Kansas students has finally come home to roost,” she said. “Still, I am relieved that the Legislature after six years of wrangling has been given another opportunity to find a real solution for funding our schools.”

House Speaker Doug Mays hopes word on when lawmakers will reconvene comes soon.

“The sooner we can get busy calling people back the better,” said Mays, R-Topeka. “It’s going to take an extraordinary effort to get people.”

The court made it clear the Republican-controlled Legislature failed to adequately fund public schools. It said lawmakers must add $143 million to the $142 million already earmarked for the upcoming budget year starting July 1. That would raise total state aid to schools to more than $3 billion.

“The Legislature has known for some time that increased funding of the financing formula would be necessary,” it said.

The last special session was called in 1989 by then-Gov. Mike Hayden to deal with emergency property tax relief. Legislators passed a bill in two days extending the deadline for paying property taxes.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley said a game plan before a special session made sense.

He said lawmakers had a six-day special session in 1987 because Hayden wanted a highway program. Nothing passed because Hayden and lawmakers hadn’t worked out a plan in advance, and Sebelius would like to avoid that situation.

Mays said he was willing to meet with the governor but added, “I’m not interested in any secret deals being put together.”

“Any result the Legislature puts forth has to be the result of the legislative process and a process that takes place publicly,” Mays said.

The question is where lawmakers will get the extra money in a cash-strapped budget year.

“We really don’t have any choice, but the first of July is a tough date to meet,” Morris said. “We will have to consider all the possibilities, and new taxes will be in the mix along with expanded gaming.”

Basically, lawmakers have four options: cut state spending, raise taxes, find new revenue or some sort of combination.

“The court is very serious here,” said House Minority Leader Dennis, D-Greensburg. “I think it’s a big challenge they put in front of us. It’s going to take bipartisan cooperation to solve it.”