Dec. 15, 2010
For Immediate Release
Kathy Toelkes, Director of Communications, 785-296-4876
State Board of Education reacts to filing of school finance lawsuit
Expresses support for funding the law; denies responsibility for LOB cap
TOPEKA – State Board of Education Chairwoman Janet Waugh today released a statement expressing the Board’s support for funding current law related to school finance and taking issue with the naming of the Board and the Kansas Commissioner of Education as defendants in a new lawsuit filed to attack the constitutionality of the State Local Option Budget (LOB) cap provided under Kansas law.
The lawsuit, filed Friday, Dec. 10, in United States District Court for the District of Kansas, includes the State Board of Education and the Commissioner, among others, as defendants in the suit. Following is the statement by Waugh:
“The Kansas State Board of Education supports suitable funding of Kansas public schools as specified in the Kansas Constitution and in state statute. This includes following the Kansas law related to the Local Option Budget. While the Board will continue to express its support for existing law and the adequate and suitable funding of the educational interests of the State, it has no authority – either through the constitution or state statute - to alter, amend or change the LOB cap. Given that, I believe the naming of the State Board, and the Commissioner of Education, as defendants in the lawsuit is inappropriate. Therefore, the State Board will seek to be dismissed, along with the Commissioner of Education, as parties in this case.”
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