Coalition of Kansas School Districts Vote to Sue State Over Funding

February 22, 2010

NEWTON, Kan. | A coalition of Kansas school districts voted Friday to sue the state over funding.

The soonest the case would be filed is probably late summer, said John Robb, lead attorney for Schools for Fair Funding. Seventy-two Kansas districts support a lawsuit.

Legislators are trying to make no additional cuts in kindergarten through 12th-grade education — which makes up more than half of the state’s budget — as they decide how to make up budget shortfalls, said Sen. Jean Schodorf, a Wichita Republican.

“The school districts need to wait and see what happens,” said Schodorf, Senate Education Committee chairwoman.

Wichita school board member Lynn Rogers said: “The reason for this action is for all the kids in Kansas. It’s very important our kids are served.”

The Kansas Supreme Court said last week a school-finance case dismissed in 2006 could not be reopened to put recent cuts to funding on trial. Instead, the schools would have to file a new lawsuit. Robb said the suit could not be filed until late summer because of rules regarding suing the state.

Rep. Joe McLeland, a Wichita Republican, said that although he thought schools had tried to intimidate legislators with lawsuit threats, it would not affect how much money K-12 education receives for the next school year. More money is not available, said the House Education Budget Committee chairman.