The Republican-dominated Kansas Senate has approved a GOP school funding bill that would avoid an increase in state spending while trying to meet a state Supreme Court order to help poor school districts.

The vote Thursday was 32-5.

The measure goes next to the House. GOP leaders there hoped to take a vote on it later Thursday.

The bill was drafted this week and redistributes about $83 million of the state’s $4 billion-plus in annual aid to its 286 school districts. It guarantees that no district loses any aid already promised for the 2016-17 school year.

The court ruled last month that the state is shorting poor districts on their fair share of state aid and threatened to shut down schools statewide if the problems aren’t fixed by June 30.
 

Original Story:

Top Republican lawmakers hope to pass a school funding plan that would avoid an increase in state spending while attempting to satisfy a Kansas Supreme Court order to help poor school districts.

The Senate planned to debate a bill Thursday that redistributes about $83 million of the state’s $4 billion-plus in annual aid to its 286 school districts.

If the measure passes the GOP-dominated Senate, the Republican-controlled House was expected to schedule a vote later Thursday.

The measure shifts some of the $83 million to poor districts but also guarantees that no district sees a reduction in the aid it’s been promised for the next school year.

The court threatened in last month’s ruling to shut down public schools statewide if lawmakers did not fix the problems by June 30.