Gov. Kathleen Sebelius today threw her support behind a three-year, $500 million school funding plan.

But the lead attorney for plaintiff school districts that sued the state over inadequate school funding blasted the plan.

And Lawrence school Supt. Randy Weseman was neutral. “It isn’t the best news, but it isn’t the worst news,” Weseman said. (See earlier story for more details.)

Under the proposal, the Lawrence district would get approximately $2.5 million in additional state funds for the next school year. (See breakdown for each district.)

Combined with an estimated $1.5 million more in local tax effort, the funding increase will give school policymakers enough to consider a number of funding requests, Weseman said.

But Alan Rupe, the Wichita attorney who successfully sued the state over school funding, said the overall $500 million increase over three years was inadequate.

He noted that a legislative cost study released last month said that schools needed an additional $400 million to $470 million next year.

“The need is $500 million today; not spread over three years,” Rupe said.

If the proposal unveiled today became law, Rupe said he would challenge it.

“Before the governor’s signature is dry, we will be back in court,” Rupe said.

But Sebelius said she endorsed the plan put out by a bi-partisan group of House members. “I’m pleased we’ve reached a consensus on how we use the recommendations of the Legislative Post Audit study as a roadmap,” she said.

Last year, the Kansas Supreme Court declared the school finance system unconstitutional because it underfunded all students, especially those in low-wealth districts.

The court accepted a $290 million increase as a down payment pending completion of an education cost study that was done by the Legislative Division of Post Audit.