Legal Woes May Shut Down Kansas Schools

[RedEarth]

TOPEKA, Kan. - Still smarting from a fight over evolution, Kansas schools now face an almost unthinkable possibility: They might not reopen in the fall because of a political and legal battle over education funding.


The Kansas Supreme Court has ordered legislators to provide millions more in aid to schools by July 1. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has called a special legislative session for June 22 to act on the order.

Some Republicans who control the Legislature want to defy the court, arguing it cannot tell them exactly what to spend on anything. Their tough talk has educators and others worried the court will order schools to remain closed until legislators comply.

Such orders have been issued or threatened in other states, and a Kansas judge even told the state last year that it could not spend a penny on its schools until legislators fixed the funding system, a decision that would have kept classrooms closed — and 445,000 students at home — had the Supreme Court not put it on hold.

"It truly does seem to me to be the natural consequence," said Dan Biles, an attorney for the State Board of Education. Such a development would represent another embarrassment for the Kansas school system, which was ridiculed around the country in 1999 when the state school board deleted most references to evolution. The school system later reversed course. But now it is likely to adopt new science standards that are critical of evolution.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050616/ap_on_re_us/kansas_school_crisis;_ylt=A0SOwmWEvLFCoTwApA6s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2M2YzbmJmBHNlYwN1cw--

[Bill McBlueState]

1. their real priorities

This act, and not their posturing over creation myths, should tell everyone who's watching where, exactly, Kansas politicians put education on their list of priorities.

[scarlett1]

8. However, Kansas catches a revenue windfall

From KC Star 6-14-05
development eases school-funds crisis

Kansas catches a revenue windfall

TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers Tuesday found an additional $172 million that could solve — at least for this year — a Kansas Supreme Court mandate to add money to K-12 education.

Legislative leaders said the windfall — thanks to a new revenue projection issued Tuesday — would take the pressure off finding the required $143 million this year when lawmakers meet in a rare special session next Wednesday to answer the June 3 ruling.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat, said it was now likely that lawmakers would quickly earmark the $143 million and then debate how to divide it.

Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, an Independence Republican, agreed.

“This is going to shift the debate from where do we get the money to how do we spend the money,” he said. “Are we going to target that group of kids who are left behind? That’s a discussion we need to have as a state.”

Hensley and Schmidt said the nine-day special session could be over in two or three days because of the new revenue projections.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/11896299.htm

[Kraklen]

2. This is probably the whole point.

I think many Republicans would like to see an end to public education.

I'm serious.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. I believe you may be right on target

NCLB does more to harm public education than to help it.

[chaumont58]

3. The buckle on the bible belt Kansas will keep the public....

schools closed and just expand Sunday school. Praise Jesus!!

[catmandu57]

5. They've got a real mess over there

I'm next door and I see this covered on the news, some reptiles in Kansas are saying make us to the courts, thumbing their noses, real adult stuff.
Instead of trying to find a way to fix the mess, then they have the creationists sneaking in the back door, so if they do get it fixed, it's still going to be phucked.

[tinymontgomery]

6. The Kids will love it

The Kids will love it, thinking they get to miss school, parents will hate it because their day care that they count on won't be available come the fall, and if they think they will just put the kid in privite school their going to find out it is expensive and privite schools don't have to take every tom, dick, harry and sally.

[depakid]

7. If the Dems were smart they'd be holding up Kansas

to the rest of the nation as a shining example of what happens when you let Republicanism run amok. But no- that would be "devisive." Can't do that. (Never mind that the far right has done this successfully to blue states like California and NY for over 25 years).

[zara]

9. Whassamatta wid Kansas! Dere Schoolz is closed!!!!!

[SavageWombat]

10. Speak as a Kansan...

Just so you know, the city of Topeka (the capitol of Kansas) is heavily Democratic. I.E. the people who are actually close to the center of government and civilization are as progressive as the rest of you.

It's those rural people who bring the average down.

If you look at a county-by-county voting map of Kansas, you'll see a field of reddish purple, but with two bright-blue spots - Topeka, and Lawrence (where the university is.)

So we're not all hopeless.