TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are taking up a new education funding proposal that’s designed to help poor school districts without increasing the state’s total spending significantly.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee and the House Appropriations Committee were having separate hearings Wednesday on the plan.

It was drafted by the two committee chairmen. They are Republican Sen. Ty Masterson of Andover and GOP Rep. Ron Ryckman Jr. of Olathe.

The plan redistributes $83 million of the state’s $4 billion-plus a year in aid to its 286 school districts.

It increases the state’s overall spending by a few million dollars to ensure that no districts lose aid. Previous plans cut aid to dozens of districts.

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled last month that the state has shorted its poor districts on their aid.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are looking at a new school finance plan that would ensure that districts don’t lose state aid in an attempt to satisfy the Kansas Supreme Court.

Identical bills in the House and Senate also would shift control of a fund to help districts facing extraordinary circumstances from lawmakers and the governor to the State Board of Education.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports discussions on the measures are expected Wednesday in both chambers.

The bills apply an old formula used to determine capital outlay state aid for districts to local option budget state aid. They would provide additional aid to districts that would lose funds under that formula so their funding levels don’t decline.

Many districts would not see any increases in funding under the bill, either.