Kansas lawmakers will return to the Statehouse Thursday, June 23 for a special session focused on education spending, and they’ll have to overcome some significant divisions to reach an agreement. The state Supreme Court says they need to reduce inequalities among school districts by the end of the month or schools could close.
USD 431 Hoisington Superintendent Bill Lowry says it’s hard to say what approach their district would take if schools are forced to shut down.
Bill Lowry Audio
Some Kansas lawmakers say the answer is simple, appropriate nearly $40 million for a certain type of school aid to fix the problem. Others will only agree to that if it includes a so-called hold harmless provision that guarantees no district loses overall state support. But there are legal questions about that. Still other legislators say the court is overstepping its bounds and lawmakers should push back.
The special session kicks off Thursday, just a week until the deadline the court set to fix the issue.