Kansas Supreme Court sets May 10 oral arguments in school finance case

The Kansas Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for May 10 on the school funding measure signed this week by Gov. Sam Brownback.

The court said Friday the “urgency and impact” of the case, Gannon v. Kansas, required an expedited schedule.

The court ruled in February that the state needed a new financing plan by June 30 that fairly distributes funds between poor and wealthy districts. Without a constitutionally valid plan, the court said, public schools could be shut down.

The Legislature approved HB 2655 on March 24, and Brownback signed it Wednesday.

Following oral arguments in May, the court will decide whether the remedy complies with its ruling. Its order left the June 30 deadline in place, but it said briefs filed by the two sides “should address the remedial action to be ordered, and upon what date it should take effect, if the court were to conclude compliance has not been achieved.”

This story was originally published April 8, 2016 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Kansas Supreme Court sets May 10 oral arguments in school finance case."