The finishing touches on a new school funding package are expected to come out of a Kansas legislative committee on Monday.
But is an additional $750 million a year over the next half-decade enough to satisfy the state Supreme Court?
The bill that’s expected to come out of the K-12 Budget Committee would add $150 million a year in new money in each of the next five years.
But that $750 million is well short of what many educators believe would be needed to make school funding in Kansas constitutionally adequate.
Alan Rupe, the lead attorney for the school districts suing the state, says it may take at least $800 million over the next two years to satisfy the court.
“If they dig a little deeper and reach a little higher with their goals, they can save a generation of Kansas kids,” he says.
Rupe says while the districts are willing to accept additional money spread out over a period of time, they probably need more money in a shorter time frame.
