Attorneys for the state and school districts argued before the Kansas Supreme Court Friday in an long-running lawsuit over school funding.
Attorneys for the schools asked the court to take swift action and order more than $50 million be added to help equalize funding disparities between school districts.
Alan Rupe, an attorney for the school districts, argued Kansas lawmakers have a history of not complying with court orders for more funding.
“Simply, this needs to be fixed. I’ve been in front of you eight times. There is a pattern here,” says Rupe.
Stephen McAllister, an attorney for the state, said lawmakers complied with earlier court rulings by increasing state funding to help reduce inequities. He says lawmakers tried to lock-in the funding with a temporary block grant system while they write a new school funding plan.
“I think that effort is ultimately both appropriate and laudable, not something that should be criticized,” says McAllister.
The school districts argue that allocating the additional money still hasn't completely addressed the problem and fixing it would take an additional $50 million.