Yet more bad news for the KCMO School District

It just keeps getting worse for the KCMO School District:

Ruling goes against KC district

KANSAS CITY (AP) — An appeals court ruled yesterday that a Cole County judge erred in ordering charter schools to repay millions to Kansas City Public Schools.

At issue was money diverted from charter schools to help the Kansas City district pay off bonds that were issued to build and upgrade schools as required by a long-running federal desegregation case. Between $800 and $1,000 per student was withheld annually from Kansas City charter schools from 1999 to 2005, then later resumed in smaller amounts.

The withholdings began when the publicly funded schools opened in the city and began luring district students, and they temporarily ended in 2005, when the Missouri Board of Fund Commissioners found the district didn't need the money from the charter schools to pay off the bonds.

The district alleged the state was reneging on a 1997 settlement in which the state paid $320 million to exit the district's desegregation case. The district, which remained a defendant until court supervision of the desegregation case ended in August 2003, said the settlement agreement stipulated that the state refrain from acts that would undermine the district.

The withholdings resumed after a federal judge ruled in 2006 that the money was needed to pay off the bonds. The district then sought to get back the $6.2 million it was unable to collect over that year.

In October, a Cole County judge sided with the Kansas City district. But the appeals court disagreed, saying the district had paid the money voluntarily and couldn't get it back.

All anyone can do at this point is to hope this district can save itself.

Link: http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/aug/22/ruling-goes-against-kc-district/