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By JOHN MILBURN
Associated Press Writer

TOPEKA (AP) -- The House's first attempt at advancing a school finance plan failed Friday, forcing its members to restart work on an answer to a Kansas Supreme Court ruling mandating more money for public schools.

House members voted 92-30 against tentatively approving an $11.4 million package, a day after they stripped the bulk of funding already approved through the Senate.

Speaker Doug Mays said there were a variety of reasons for the bill's rejection, including a desire to consider constitutional amendments to limit the power of the courts to decide school funding issues or order legislators to appropriate money.

''I'm disappointed, but not surprised,'' said Mays, R-Topeka.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius told the House to keep working on a plan.

''We've seen the Senate act on a responsible solution. I call on the House to do the same, and do it soon,'' Sebelius said.

The vote prevented the House from taking final action on the bill. It remained alive so that members could try again, but the action was likely to extend the length of legislators' special session, called to deal with the court's opinion.

Rep. Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe, said legislators were getting ahead of themselves in addressing funding before resolving issues related to the court's authority.

However, Democrats and moderate Republicans were critical of the bill and the tone of the debate, which they said was focused on punishing the courts and school districts.

''It's a continuous effort to blame someone else for our own shortcomings,'' said Rep. Ward Loyd, R-Garden City.

Added Rep. Bruce Larkin, D-Baileyville: ''I see where it does nothing to comply with the court order or the reason we are here.''

The bill contained only funds to match two local property taxes that were put on hold June 3 by the Kansas Supreme Court ruling.

The court ordered legislators to increase school funding by $143 million by July 1, prompting the first special legislative session in 15 years.

Mays said the bill would go back to committee, where members are likely to add $75 million in new spending. An effort to add that same amount was rejected during House debate.

Both property tax provisions were approved by legislators during their regular session but were set aside by the court and not allowed to take effect. The first allows districts with home values in excess of 125 percent of the statewide average to levy taxes equal to 5 percent of their total general fund budgets. The money would be spent on salaries of teachers living in the district.

The second would allow all districts to raise property taxes equal to 2 percent of their general fund budget to be used as districts see fit. The state would match a portion of the revenue raised by both provisions to offset property taxes in poorer districts, for a total of $11.4 million.

The House committee also would limit what could be considered as evidence in future school finance cases and would require school districts to first file complaints with the Legislature over funding before filing a lawsuit.

Also, districts that failed to meet state standards would be required to reallocate funds to meet student achievement goals.

The Senate plan would be funded by existing state revenues, helped by revised fiscal estimates last week that show the state expects to collect $172 million more in revenues through June 30, 2006.

However, senators expected to debate expanding gambling, which they say would sustain the increase in school spending and prevent cuts in other state programs.

During its regular session, which ended May 20, the Legislature increased public school aid by $142 million, or about 5 percent. But the Supreme Court said that amount wasn't sufficient to meet legislators' constitutional duty to provide a suitable education. Justices said the total increase had to be $285 million, or about 10 percent, pushing total aid past $3 billion annually.

The court also said it could mandate an additional $568 million increase in education funding next year. That increase is based on a 2002 consultant's study that found Kansas was falling more than $850 million short of funding its schools adequately.