Senator Anthony Hensley (D-Topeka) describing the new school funding proposal. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a new plan to increase school funding. The bill would keep the current school finance formula and increase state funding by $100 million over two years. It would also raise the cap on local property taxes. Senator Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat, says he hopes the plan will help reverse the effects of budget cuts made in recent years.
The proposal is an alternative to one offered by Governor Sam Brownback. His bill would include a smaller increase in education funding and give districts more flexibility to raise property taxes. His proposal would also rewrite the formula that distributes state dollars to schools.