School Districts to Reopen Lawsuit

January 11, 2010

Schools for Fair Funding again is trying to obtain more funding for various districts throughout the state of Kansas.

"Although other districts are involved in pursuing this litigation, Ark City schools are not," USD 470 Superintendent of Schools Ron Ballard said on Thursday.

USD 470 was aligned with the original group that filed the litigation in 1992, but since the most recent Supreme Court case in 2006, USD 470 has not been involved.

The district has received memos from the Schools for Fair Funding, a school official said. But the Ark City school district is not participating at this point.

The 2006 Supreme Court case found in favor of the schools that the funding of public education was unconstitutional. John Robb, the attorney for a group of school districts reopening the Supreme Court case, said he has the support of 55 districts that represent over 141,427 students.

Ballard thinks that requesting a review of school funding, which the other school districts currently are doing, is a far more favorable approach. But USD 470 will not be involved in legal action.