GOP response to school funding ruling encouraging

It’s encouraging that the initial response of state GOP leaders to the Kansas Supreme Court’s school finance ruling was restrained and not antagonistic. But the real test is yet to come.

Will they craft a school finance formula that meets the diverse educational needs of public schools in the state? And then will they fully fund it – and not renege on their funding promises, as they’ve done before?

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that state funding of K-12 public schools is inadequate and unconstitutional. The court gave lawmakers until June 30 to craft a suitable funding plan or potentially face school closures.

Unlike after some previous court rulings, GOP leaders didn’t react with hostility or defensiveness – though they did try to bend the ruling in their ideological direction.

Gov. Sam Brownback said in a statement that the court “correctly observes that our education system has failed to provide a suitable education for the lowest performing 25 percent of students. The old funding formula failed our students, particularly those that struggle most.”

Brownback then called for “transformative educational reform” and for the Legislature to pass a funding system that “puts students first.”

That’s code for school choice and potential public funding of private schools.

Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, said in a statement that the court reaffirmed that “legislators are the state’s chief policymakers and money appropriators.” She also said that lawmakers have a “duty to provide Kansas students with the resources they need to thrive.”

As the court determined, lawmakers haven’t been meeting that constitutional obligation.

House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, also emphasized the Legislature’s authority to set policy and appropriate funds. He defended the block-grant funding system – which the court declared unconstitutional – as “a short-term ‘time out’ from a broken school finance formula.”

Actually, the previous finance formula was not broken. It was supported by school districts and approved by the court. The main problem was the state’s failure to fully fund it – which is why the state kept getting sued and losing in court.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt had the most straightforward and pragmatic response of the GOP leaders. He accepted the court’s finding and urged lawmakers to act quickly to approve a new funding plan, so the court would have time to review it before the June 30 deadline.

“Lengthy delay would impose needless strain and uncertainty on parents, students and school employees,” Schmidt said in a statement. He also called for “a bold legislative response, enacted swiftly, squarely targeting the constitutional defects the court identified.”

In other words, get busy, stay focused and don’t play political games. Good advice.

This story was originally published March 5, 2017 at 5:05 AM with the headline "GOP response to school funding ruling encouraging."