Kansas Districts Suing State Over Funds

Attorneys for a coalition of Kansas school districts have filed a lawsuit against the state over the way public education is funded.

John Robb and Alan Rupe filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Shawnee County District Court. Districts included in the filing are Wichita, Hutchinson, Kansas City and Dodge City.

The lawsuit alleges that the state has violated the Kansas Constitution in the way it funds education. It claims students are being deprived of their fundamental right to an education.

The attorneys say the lawsuit was prompted by cuts in education spending after a similar lawsuit was settled in 2006.

The Kansas attorney general’s office is charged with defending the case. It has hired a Wichita law firm to represent the state.

The case will be heard by a three-judge panel assigned by Kansas Court of Appeals Judge Gary Rulon.