Topeka ? The Kansas House on Friday crushed a school finance plan, which sent Republican leaders scrambling for answers and prompted criticism from Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat.

“It’s disappointing that the House cannot pass even a modest plan to help Kansas schoolchildren and protect Kansas taxpayers,” Sebelius said on the third day of the special legislative session.

But House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, called the defeat “a pretty healthy vote.” He said the action gave leaders an indication of what members would support and what they would not.

Republicans hold an 83-42 majority in the House, but the GOP members showed stark differences over how to address a Kansas Supreme Court order to increase school funding.

Some members said they wanted to comply with the court’s minimum $143 million price tag, while others urged defiance of the court and sought ways to backhand school administrators.

The Senate approved a $161 million finance plan that includes local property tax relief. But House education committee members stripped the bill down to $11 million.

When the $11 million proposal came before the full House it was attacked from all sides.

“It does nothing to comply with the court order and the reason we are here for the special session,” Rep. Bruce Larkin, D-Baileyville, said.

And conservative Republicans said the Legislature needed to adopt a proposed constitutional amendment limiting court jurisdiction on school finance before it considered the school aid bill.

“This is putting the cart before the horse,” Rep. Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe, said.

But Rep. Ward Loyd, R-Garden City, disagreed, saying attempts to slap the court were “a continuing effort to blame someone else for our own shortcomings.”

When it became apparent, the $11 million bill was about to be defeated, Rep. Mike O’Neal, R-Hutchinson, tried to have it referred back to committee for further work. But that motion failed, and then the bill was voted down 92-30. All three of Lawrence’s House members voted against the bill, Democrats Barbara Ballard and Paul Davis and Republican Tom Sloan, as did Baldwin Democrat Tom Holland and Eudora Republican Anthony Brown.

Mays then quickly held a Republican caucus meeting and urged GOP members to go back and vote to put the bill back in committee.

“Bottom line, we don’t send this bill back, we add another day to the special session,” he said.

During that caucus, many Republicans spoke up about what they wanted a final school finance bill to have.

“I support the $143 million and will not go below that,” Rep. Bill Light, R-Rolla, said.

But Rep. Mitch Holmes, R-St. John, said he didn’t believe schools should get more money.

Mays said the caucus was representative of what the public thinks about the court order.

“A lot of people are coming from a lot of different directions,” he said.

Meanwhile, social service advocates said they were starting to get worried by the conservative mood of the House, where there is strong opposition to a tax increase and expanded casino gambling.

Josie Torrez, project coordinator of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas, said she feared lawmakers may start looking at budget cuts to social services to fund a school increase.

“We hope the Legislature would use common sense and decency when funding schools,” she said.