The Kansas teachers union is expected to sue the state over elements of a recently passed education funding bill, although union officials said they’re not yet sure what the lawsuit will entail.
Essentially, officials with the Kansas National Education Association held a press conference this week to inform the media of an upcoming lawsuit centered on an education bill designed to fix funding inequalities between districts the Kansas Supreme Court previously determined illegal, the Hays Daily News reports.
“There are a number of pieces in there which we think are harmful to kids, to teachers, to educators generally,” union attorney David Schauner said, according to the news site. “And we haven’t come to a final decision about how broad our complaint will be.”
Kansas union officials are reportedly conspiring with legal experts at the National Education Association, the KNEA’s parent organization, to draft the lawsuit, which they plan to file in Shawnee County District Court later this month.
State lawmakers recently approved an education bill that will increase education funding to comply with the Kansas Supreme Court ruling on inequity between poor and more affluent school districts. But lawmakers also attached reforms to the bill that eliminate mandatory hearings necessary to terminate a teacher, and changed the teacher licensing process to make it easier for professionals to transition into teaching, according to the Daily News.
Another provision in the bill would allow corporations to receive tax incentives for donating money toward private school scholarships for students.
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