| School finance plans expected to be introduced in the next two weeks |
TOPEKA, Kan. - With the 2006 legislative session nearly half over, lawmakers finally appear on the verge of coming up with major, bipartisan packages to bolster funding for public schools. Discussions among top leaders in the Senate seem to have settled on a three-year, $500 million school funding plan, two key senators said Monday. Similar figures aren't as clear in the House, but some say $500 million is in the lower chamber's ballpark as well. "That's not much different than what we're talking about," said Rep. Marti Crow, D-Leavenworth and a top Democrat on the House Select Committee on School Finance. Both chambers expect to develop plans within the next two weeks. The aim behind the plans would be to collect an early endorsement from Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and point the Republican-controlled Legislature toward complying with Kansas Supreme Court demands for more school funding. "We'd like to see this case settled," said House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka. The Kansas Supreme Court last year ordered the Legislature to base school funding decisions on cost studies of the school system. A report by the Legislature's Division of Post Audit in January found schools need at least $399 million in new spending. But so far discussions about public school funding have remained quiet. Sebelius hasn't proposed a school funding plan, instead opting to work with legislators on the issue. Details from those discussions hasn't been forthcoming. Sen. Janis Lee, D-Kensington and the top Democrat on the Senate Education Committee, said Senate leaders had settled on a three-year plan in the range of $500 million. Details would emerge within the next two weeks, she said. "We're trying to find a balance we all can support," Lee said. Schodorf, R-Wichita and chairwoman of the education committee, confirmed the $500 million figure. "In that range," she said. "But it keeps changing." But the consensus isn't complete, said Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, R-Independence. "That's a little rich for some," he said. "It's more than we can afford." Lawmakers have been remarkably amiable during the session, saying any plan they produce should be bipartisan. But they also say the difficulty lies in balancing the needs of large and small school districts and particularly the need for more funding for students who are considered at risk of failing. "I think this is going to be one of the most difficult school finance debates we've had since I've been here," Schmidt said. Also cause for concern is how to pay for it. Schodorf said the first year of the Senate plan would come from existing resources. But the Legislature likely would need new revenue in future years to cover the plan. Talk hasn't centered on where the money would come from. "That third year is difficult to predict," Schodorf said. Whether the plan meets the court's muster is another question. Rep. Kathe Decker, R-Clay Center and chairwoman of the House Select Committee on School Finance, said getting something the governor could endorse was key. Last year, also under court order, the Legislature passed a controversial $142 million plan that Sebelius refused to sign. Instead, she advanced it to the Supreme Court without her signature. The court told the Legislature to double the amount, which forced a special session. The dynamic between the three branches of government played against the Legislature last year, Decker said. "It was 2 to 1 last time. We hope to reverse the odds," Decker said. The Morning Sun, (www.morningsun.net) February 21, 2006 |
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