A top Kansas education official has testified in court about how the state trimmed aid to public schools by nearly $54 million under a new law.

Deputy Education Commissioner Dale Dennis faced questions Friday in Shawnee County District Court. A three-judge panel is considering whether to block the new school funding law that took effect in April.

The law scrapped a per-student formula for distributing aid to the state’s 286 school districts. The state will give districts “block grants” instead.

Four districts who sued the state over education funding hope to show that the new law harms them. Dennis testified about how the new law cut aid districts expected to receive this year.