The Latest: Kansas lawmakers end special session on schools
Kansas legislators have ended their special session after passing an education funding plan aimed at satisfying a court mandate and averting a threat that the state's public schools might shut down.
The court said the state's education funding system remained unfair to poor school districts despite three revisions of school finance laws in the past three years.
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback says the Kansas Legislature has done a "fantastic job" in passing a school funding plan to satisfy a state Supreme Court mandate and end the threat that schools might not open.
Kansas legislators have passed an education funding plan from Republican leaders that boosts aid to poor school districts to satisfy a state Supreme Court mandate and end a threat that the state's public schools might not reopen next month.
The plan approved Friday night increases aid to poor school districts by $38 million for 2016-17 by diverting money from other parts of state government.
The Kansas House has approved an education funding plan from Republican leaders that would boost aid to poor school districts to satisfy a state Supreme Court mandate and end a threat that the state's public schools might not reopen next month.
A new school funding plan from top Republicans in the Kansas Legislature has been endorsed by an attorney representing four school districts suing the state.
A Kansas school superintendent whose district is suing the state over education funding has endorsed a new plan from Republican leaders for complying with a recent state Supreme Court order.
Both chambers of the Legislature hoped to vote on the new plan Friday night and end a special session called to respond to the court's order last month to make education funding fairer to poor school districts.
The Kansas Senate has rejected a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have prevented the state's courts from closing schools in deciding future education funding lawsuits.
The measure was a response to a state Supreme Court ruling last month declaring that the state's education funding system remains unfair to poor school districts.
Moderate Republicans in the Kansas House have modified their plan for meeting a state Supreme Court mandate on education funding to make it more palatable to fellow lawmakers.
Republican Rep. Melissa Rooker of Fairway said a proposal to divert $6 million in unused economic development funds to public schools has been dropped because of potential opposition.
Rooker said the plan would instead divert existing education dollars set aside for schools' emergency needs to boost aid for poor school districts.
The Kansas Senate is debating a proposed constitutional amendment that would prevent the state's courts from closing schools in deciding future education funding lawsuits.
The proposal is a response to a state Supreme Court ruling last month declaring that the state's education funding system remains unfair to poor school districts.
Workers then removed a speaker from the Statehouse's largest committee room, hooked it into the House's system and stood it up on a table next to the ailing speaker in the House chamber, securing it with long Velcro strips.
An attorney representing four Kansas school districts suing the state says he believes legislators would satisfy a state Supreme Court education-funding mandate by passing a plan from moderate Republicans rather than one backed by GOP leaders.
GOP leaders' plan redistributes $13 million in aid for general operations in all 286 school districts to help cover the cost of providing court-mandated property tax relief in poor districts.
Top Republicans hope to push an education funding plan through the Kansas Legislature to end a looming threat of public schools shutting down.