Three Republican leaders in the Kansas Senate have proposed adding a fourth year to the three-year, $1 billion school funding package approved by the Legislature in 2006.
Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, Senate Education Committee chair Jean Schodorf, and Senate vice president John Vratil want to add $37 million in fiscal 2010 to the plan that now ends in fiscal 2009.
The extra money will automatically trigger a provision to add $28 million to the state retirement system that covers teachers. Schodorf said the extension would give local districts some planning flexibility.
The current plan requires lawmakers to provide an additional $122.7 million to public education in fiscal 2009, including a boost in basic state aid by $59 per student that will total $37 million.
