The Kansas Supreme Court says the State’s current public school funding levels are unconstitutional.

The Court says the State’s poor school districts were harmed when the State made the decision to cut certain payments when tax revenues declined during the great recession. The court also sent the case back for more review to determine the adequate amount of funding.

In USD 475 Superintendent Ron Walker says there are two parts of the ruling that require the state to fund by July first.

“Capital outlay portion, really was not adhering any kind of fashion to State law, so they need to fund that according to state law by July 1,” Walker said. “If they couldn’t fund it for any reason then they would have the three judge panel to take a look at it. Then the three judge panel would say you either fund it according to state law or you come up with a way that you can fund it based upon the criteria that was set forth.”

Walker adds the Court also ruled the local option budgets are not being properly funded, and that should be corrected.

The decision by the Court also sends the question of adequate base State aid per pupil back to the lower court to apply a different standard.