Democrats unveil rebuttal to Brownback school finance plan at Mission Valley

Using Mission Valley Middle School as a backdrop Tuesday, Kansas Democrats offered their rebuttal to the school finance overhaul plan introduced by Gov. Sam Brownback in December.

The Democrats say their plan, which would bring the base state aid per pupil from $3,780 to $4,492, would net districts in Johnson County more that $15 million. The plan would be funded by redirecting part of $351 in surplus tax revenues. Approximately $45 million would go to schools during the 2012-2013 academic year. Another $45 million would go to schools the following academic year.

But whether the Democrats will be able to get any traction in moving their proposal forward is a matter of considerable doubt. Democrats hold just 33 of 125 seats in the House and eight of the 40 seats in the Senate.

For more, read these stories from the Kansas City Star and Topeka Capital Journal, or watch this report from FOX 4 Kansas City.