LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP) --With a deadline for overhauling Arkansas' public school funding long past and still no action from the Legislature, the state's highest court was deciding whether to cut other state services to funnel more money into education.

Arkansas' government braced for the possible shutdown of some services as early as Thursday, when the state Supreme Court heard arguments on a school district's petition to halt other funding until the Legislature complies with a court order to reform its system of school funding.

The school district's lawyer argues that the Legislature must first pay for services required by the state Constitution, such as schools.

It wants services that are not constitutionally required stopped until the Legislature complies and the money put into schools instead. Among the state services not listed in the state Constitution are child abuse investigations, Medicaid payments, nursing homes, state police, National Guard, unemployment benefits and tax collection.

The court had ruled in November 2002 that Arkansas' school funding system was unconstitutionally inadequate and inequitable, and it set a January 1, 2004, deadline for an overhaul.

The Legislature, now in the seventh week of a special session, failed to meet that deadline.

"I feel like the school kid in trouble with the principal. I know I'm guilty, I just don't know whether he's going to pull the paddle out or not," said state Sen. Jim Argue, a Democrat.

The 2002 ruling came in response to a 1992 lawsuit by Lake View School District that challenged the way Arkansas distributes $1.8 billion in education aid. Lake View's lawyer is also behind the petition to halt state funding of other services.

"I'm very anxious and nervous. We have already had 13 months to address a court order. It comes to whether we are going to be dealing with grace or justice from the court," Gov. Mike Huckabee said Wednesday.

Legislators met in a regular session for four months last year but reached no agreement, with talks breaking down largely because of Huckabee's plan to merge the smallest 100 or so districts to save money.

Huckabee, a Republican, said he hoped the high court would order the executive and judicial branches to work together to carry out the court's mandate -- circumventing a Democrat-controlled Legislature.

The latest special session began December 8, but legislators have reached few conclusions.