Thursday, February 9, 2012

Kansas Democrats are offering an alternative to Gov. Sam Brownback's plan for rewriting the state's school funding formula.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka shared his proposal Thursday with the Senate Education Committee to increase
school funding by $180 million over the next three years. The plan would add $45 million to K-12 budgets in each of the next two years
and $90 million in the third. It also includes a companion bill to give cities and counties some $45 million in property tax relief.

Earlier this week the committee began taking testimony on Brownback's plan, which would rewrite the funding formula, giving
local districts more authority and responsibility for raising education dollars locally through property taxes.

Brownback's plan also makes changes to teacher evaluation systems and technical education.