If school is not in session, even if it normally would be, then you should not have to pay a speeding ticket received when a police officer takes it upon himself to enforce a law that is not a law (on that particular day). This can happen when school has a day off during the normal school year that is not figured into a school zone's sign and when it flashes. It could also be done by an officer sitting outside of an empty school and being dishonest. Check out this article about speeding tickets in school zones when school is out.
Remember to be careful when questioning an officer. The linked article is from Shawnee, Kansas, but it can happen anywhere, and not every person who has been issued the power to enforce the law takes kindly to criticism. However, they should all learn the law they're enforcing.
What was interesting about the article was that three adjacent communities in Johnson County (Lenexa, Mission, and Leawood) all state clearly that the rule only applies when school is in session, not just when the lights are flashing. Could you imagine if each small municipality had a different code to follow?
