Post by Logan on Jun 28, 2016 6:00:28 GMT -6
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback signed legislation Monday to increase aid to poor school districts, an action that meets a court mandate and ends a threat that the state's public schools might shut down.
The bill, which takes effect Friday, increases poor districts' state funding $38 million for 2016-17 by diverting funds from other parts of the state budget. It also redistributes some funds from wealthier districts in line with a state Supreme Court ruling last month.
The court said the state's school funding system remains unfair to poor districts, despite three rounds of changes in the past three years. Lawmakers had until Thursday to make further changes, and the court had said that schools might not reopen if no action was taken.
The measure had broad, bipartisan support when the Republican-dominated Legislature passed it last week during a two-day special session. Both legislative staffers and the Republican governor moved with unusual speed because of the deadline; some bills aren't signed until 20 days after their final passage.
Read more: www.newspressnow.com/news/four-state_region/kansas/article_89ca8db0-010a-5f2e-929a-3e27e5fd9673.html
The bill, which takes effect Friday, increases poor districts' state funding $38 million for 2016-17 by diverting funds from other parts of the state budget. It also redistributes some funds from wealthier districts in line with a state Supreme Court ruling last month.
The court said the state's school funding system remains unfair to poor districts, despite three rounds of changes in the past three years. Lawmakers had until Thursday to make further changes, and the court had said that schools might not reopen if no action was taken.
The measure had broad, bipartisan support when the Republican-dominated Legislature passed it last week during a two-day special session. Both legislative staffers and the Republican governor moved with unusual speed because of the deadline; some bills aren't signed until 20 days after their final passage.
Read more: www.newspressnow.com/news/four-state_region/kansas/article_89ca8db0-010a-5f2e-929a-3e27e5fd9673.html