TOPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the state’s new school finance law approved by legislators this spring is unconstitutional. In a ruling issued Monday afternoon, the justices said the state isn’t providing enough money to schools to ensure Kansas students receive an adequate education. The high court “held the State failed to meet its burden of showing that the level of funding was constitutionally adequate under the test requiring that the funding be reasonably calculated to have all Kansas public education students meet or exceed the constitutional standards. The court also held that four provisions of the new law created or exacerbated unconstitutional wealth-based inequities.” The justices didn’t specify how much would be enough. Wellsville school superintendent Jerald Henn said he’s still reading the court’s opinion but that it appears to be a victory for most school districts. The high court struck down the previous and controversial funding law, which mandated a block grant scheme that froze funding for schools, and gave legislators until June 30 of this year to come up with a new funding formula. The new law increased state funding by $292.5 million spread over two school years, the ruling noted. “But the increase is substantially less than all other cost estimates, including a calculation the Kansas Legislative Research Department submitted to the Senate Select Committee on Education Finance. The Kansas Legislative Research Department estimated that a base funding amount of $4,080 per student was required for fiscal year 2018. The new law instead provides $4,006 in base funding for that year.” The court delayed hearings on the new law and allowed schools to open this year. The court’s ruling earlier in the year meant more money for Wellsville schools “which was a blessing for us,” Henn said. The ruling gives legislators until June 30 of next year to fix the law. However, the court said they will be tougher on the next deadline. “We will not allow ourselves to be placed in the position of being complicit actors in the continuing deprivation of a constitutionally adequate and equitable education owed to hundreds of thousands of Kansas school children.”
Monday, Oct. 2, 5 p.m.
