State Senator Jeff Longbine has a view of how the Legislature can pay for increased funding for public schools K-12 in Kansas.

Referring to a recent consultant’s report that called for anywhere from $451 million up to $2 billion more in funding for education, Longbine noted that they are really looking at aspirational goals on graduation rates and testing scores. “We’re trying to take those goals and look at where progress should be five years from now, and what does it cost to get to five years from now. The numbers that they were qouting in the study are 20-year goals so we need to look at it in a shorter time frame and how much money does it take to get to that.”

So where will the money come from?

Longbine said if the State can establish reasonable goals on a five-year target with annual improvement each year it can be done with existing revenues. “Our revenues are strong. The study did not take into account the $300 million that we put into this fiscal year for schools. We kind of have almost a $300 million credit that we can use>’

Longbine feels the end amount needed will be in the $500 to $600 million range. He noted there is the $300 million credit and tax revenues are about $300 million ahead of estimated forecasts. He added the State will have other needs to balance. “But I’m confident through the economy and growth, and the tax changes that we made last year we can sustain it without a tax increase.”

Longbine is hopeful that could satisfy the Kansas Supreme Court who mandated more money for public schools and the plaintiffs in a long running school finance lawsuit.”If we can make the equity changes in the school bill the Court was concerned about, and they look at us establishing goals I think they’ll be agreeable.”

Longbine does not foresee cuts in programs and indicated he believes the State can meet the need with existing revenues, plus the tax increase passed in the 2017 legislative session, and the additional money in to school formula last year that is not being credited because it is in the current fiscal year.

Longbine, who is the Kansas Senate vice president, participated in a legislative coffee in Junction City on Saturday.