KANSAS DENIES KENT STATE Jayhawks romp to 78-62 win with big contribution from bench. SPORTS, 1C
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WEDNESDAY • DECEMBER 31 • 2014
School funding inadequate, court rules If upheld, Tuesday’s decision means Kansas lawmakers will face a daunting challenge in the next few years because that only adds to the Topeka — A three-judge already existing budget shortfalls, estimated at more than $600 million panel in Topeka ruled Tuesday in the fiscal year that begins July 1. By Peter Hancock
Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
that overall funding for public education in Kansas is inadequate and therefore unconstitutional. The judges also said the system of local option budgets, as it’s being used now, is unconstitutional because under-
funding by the state has forced districts to use their local budgets, which are raised through local property taxes, to meet basic state educational requirements instead of funding local
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enhancement programs as they were originally intended. And while the panel did not order the Legislature to increase funding by a specific dollar amount, it suggested
formula to $4,654 per pupil, the inflation-adjusted amount the panel originally ordered in its first opinion in January 2013. The judges acknowledged that they did not have the auCOURTS thority to order a specific that at least $548 million in ad- amount of money, but said the ditional base funding would be current level of funding is unneeded to meet the constitu- constitutional and lawmakers tional standard of adequacy. must correct the shortfall. That’s how much it would Please see SCHOOL, page 2A cost to raise the base state aid
People of 2014 Behind the headlines are people making things happen. Here’s a look at some of the most intriguing people in the news over the past year:
idate for governor nd ca c ti ra oc m De s, vi Paul Da
Clint Bowen
Musician Kawehi
Clint Bowen, interim KU football coach Poet Patricia Lockwood
Student activist Sch uyler Kraus Haskell Indian Nations University President Venida Chenault
Judge Franklin Theis
EO Susan Tate C r te n e C s rt A ce n Lawre
KU Dean of Business N eeli Bendapudi
INSIDE
Cold Business Classified Comics Crave
High: 23
Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew
Low: 16
Today’s forecast, page 6A
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Kansas University football defensive coordinator Clint Bowen began 2014 preparing for the third season of his most recent coaching stint with the program. Nine months later, he found himself standing at a podium discussing how being the head coach at Kansas was his dream job. Promoted to interim head coach after the firing of Charlie Weis, Bowen took players and fans on a wild ride. Smart, tough, disciplined football was a staple of Bowen’s tenure. He reworked his schedule to spend even more time in the office and changed the tone of practices by bringing fun back, routinely participating with the players in drills and conditioning exercises. Many players were outspoken in their hope that Bowen would remain KU’s coach when the season ended. In line with his true-blueKU roots, Bowen, though clearly wanting the job, said that all that mattered was that the right guy get the nod. On Dec. 5, KU announced that David Beaty was its choice to succeed Weis. In the first quote in the news release confirming Beaty’s hire, the new coach tipped his cap to Bowen and said both he and KU were lucky to have him. — Matt Tait
Please see PEOPLE, page 4A
An early exit After just three months on the job, Lawrence’s first director of arts and culture is leaving her position in mid-January. Page 3A
Vol.156/No.365 26 pages