GOP ties boost in Kansas school funding to ‘open enrollment’

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kansas have approved an increase in funding for public schools but tied the extra money to allowing parents to send their children to any school with room for them. The measure passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature on Thursday goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and would boost direct state funding to local school districts by about 6%. The votes were 24-14 in the Senate and 75-45 in the House. Conservative Republicans argued that the “open enrollment” provisions in the bill would give parents more options while using competition to push schools to improve. Democratic lawmakers argued that some schools would be hurt as funding followed students.