Kansas Supreme Court sets next round of briefings, arguments in school finance suit

The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday scheduled the next round of briefings and oral arguments in an ongoing legal challenge to education funding.

The Gannon vs. State of Kansas case charges that school funding is neither equitable nor adequate. In Friday’s order, the high court said that although the two issues “do not exist in isolation from each other,” they will be briefed and argued separately.

Parties first will address issues related to funding equity, the court said, and whether the state solved inequities with its recent repeal of the 23-year-old school finance formula in favor of two-year block grants.

First briefs on the equity issue should be filed by Sept. 2 and responses by Oct. 2, the court said. Oral argument is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Nov. 6 at the Supreme Court in Topeka.

After that, the court will address whether education funding is adequate as outlined by the state constitution. Briefs on that issue are due Nov. 23 and responses by Jan. 12, 2016. Oral argument will be held “in the spring of 2016,” according to the court order.

This story was originally published July 24, 2015 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Kansas Supreme Court sets next round of briefings, arguments in school finance suit."