By KEN STEPHENS

Special to The Hays Daily News

NEWTON -- Schools for Fair Funding put off a decision Friday on whether to go back to court to force the state of Kansas to increase aid to public education.

Not that the representatives of the organization's 57-member school districts aren't angry enough to do it.

"In my opinion, there was way more than enough support," Hays Superintendent Fred Kaufman, president of Schools for Fair Funding, said after the organization emerged from an executive session with its attorneys and voted to meet again Dec. 18 in Salina.

"I don't think people realize how destructive this (cutting base state aid) is to public education. Someone has to do something."

Bill Hagerman, superintendent of the Nickerson-South Hutchinson district, agreed with Kaufman's assessment.

"People are no less riled up. We're certainly not welcoming the next $150 to $210 reduction in base state aid. Nobody is excited about that."

The organization wants to use the next month to get information to other school districts that have expressed interest in School for Fair Funding in hopes of gaining more members and strengthening their voice. The organization added 19 members this week and now has 57 districts with 147,000 students.

"There is a groundswell," said Alan Rupe of Wichita, one of two attorneys for the group. "Districts keep rolling in. We want to make sure everybody that wants on board is on board."

Meanwhile, school districts are dealing with another temporary money issue.

Last week, the state didn't have enough money to make one of its periodic payments of state aid. So it sent only half the amount due to school districts, along with the promise that the other half would be paid when funds were available.

That's having the biggest impact on districts that rely heavily on state aid and have little cash reserves of their own.

For example, Haven, which is not a member of Schools for Fair Funding, is putting off paying some of its bills while waiting to receive the final $224,956 of its November payment.

"We're holding bills until the funds come in," said Superintendent Patrick Call. "We are also using money from other funds to cover where we can."

Haven, which has about 980 students, planned to spend about $11.5 million this year and expected state aid to cover about 65 percent of that amount, according to the district's budget. Haven began the 2009-10 year with about $791,000 in cash, but 90 percent of that money is restricted for capital outlay and bond and interest.

Hutchinson schools, due another $991,343, haven't been hurt by the delay.

"Here's why," said Superintendent David Flowers. "We do have a contingency fund that covers about one month of payroll. We have some legislators and the Flint Hills Public Policy Institute saying we have all this money and if school districts would just spend their contingency money we would not have any financial problems. But when the state doesn't pay its bills on time, that's what that's for."

Fairfield Superintendent Mary Treaster said she is concerned about the state's inability to make its payments. Her district is still due $93,526.

"Will not receiving half of our state aid in November create a hardship that our staff or students will notice? No," she said. "Does it create concern in the district office? Yes, because it is a grim warning of what is to come."

By the time districts belonging to Schools for Fair Funding reconvene in Salina next month, they should know how much more state aid they will lose this year, Rupe said. Gov. Mark Parkinson is expected to announce additional budget cuts before Thanksgiving.

Last year, the state paid $4,400 in base state aid per pupil to each school district. For the current fiscal year, the Legislature initially authorized $4,280. However, that was cut to $4,218 in July because of declining state revenues.

School districts have been told to expect to lose another $150 per pupil.