TOPEKA — A lawsuit filed by 54 kansas school districts went to trial this morning in a Shawnee County court. The school districts filed suit two years ago, saying the state reneged on its promise to maintain suitable levels of funding for public education. Attorneys expect the trial to last up to three weeks. The state says that current funding levels are constitutional and the legislature has the right to set funding levels based on available state revenues, which fell during the recession. It is the second time in a decade that the Kansas school finance formula has gone to court. The last time in the Montoy decision, the legislators were ordered to increase school spending by nearly $1 billion or shut down all the schools in the state. After complying, state lawmakers started whittling that down in later years. Under a new procedure ordered by legislators, the trial will be before a three-judge panel.
Monday, June 4, 4 p.m.
