The Kansas Supreme Court has set a hearing for May 10 on a school funding plan aimed at reducing disparities between school districts.
Justices have threatened to close schools if the issue isn’t resolved by this summer. The date of the hearing might mean it isn’t fully settled by the time lawmakers want to end the session.
The so-called veto session starts the last week of April and traditionally lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says a decision following the hearing could come quickly because justices seem to be working fast.
“It appears to me that because the court acted so quickly after the singing of the bill, every indication is that the court is focused on moving this to decision as quickly as practical. That’s good news,” Schmidt says.
Some legislators would like a decision before the end of the veto session so they can do further work on the issue, if needed. Otherwise, a special session could be required if Supreme Court justices reject the plan. The spending bill redistributes school funding to help shrink inequalities.