Kansas Lawmakers Resume Negotiations on School Funding Plan

Kansas legislators are hashing out several dozen educational policy issues before wrestling with how much to increase spending on public schools.

House and Senate negotiators resumed talks Friday on a plan that would phase in an increase of at least $230 million in funding over two years.

But they’re also drafting a new per-student formula for distributing the money and disagree on many details.

The state spends $4 billion annually on aid to its 286 school districts. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in March that education funding is inadequate.

The Senate has called for a $230 million spending increase and the House approved a $285 million increase. Many lawmakers don’t think either plan will satisfy the court.

Legislators also must draft a plan for raising new revenue.