The Kansas Supreme Court declared state school funding inadequate
Monday and gave lawmakers until April 12 to come up with a plan to add
new money for K-12 education. The court did not specify how much money
was needed, but in its opinion referenced a 2001 study commissioned by
the Legislature that put the figure at about $1 billion a year.
Republican legislative leaders, who hold a majority in the House and
Senate, were quick to say the court order does not necessarily mean
higher taxes. And Attorney General Phill Kline, a Republican, quickly
offered a list of options that didn't include spending more money, such
as changing state law. Democratic legislative leaders, however, warned
that tax increases may be the only answer. The Supreme Court's brief,
unanimous decision came in a 1999 lawsuit claiming that schools are
underfunded and that the school-finance law discriminates against poor,
minority and at-risk students. [more]
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