California court to rule on suit to scrap K-12 funding system
A California appeals court is expected to rule soon in a case that claims that the state's system of funding public schools in unconstitutional.
If the plaintiffs in the case prevail, observers say, it could prompt a groundbreaking move towards focusing on providing schools the amount that it would take to prepare students for college and beyond.
The case is a consolidation of two 2010 cases -- Campaign for Quality Education vs. California and Robles-Wang vs. California. Both suits were dismissed in Alameda County Court in 2011, and the state appeals court combined the suits into one when they appealed.
The California constitution guarantees the right to a free publicly funded education, but it's less clear whether the constitution requires the state to hold its public schools to a certain level of quality.
Right now, California's funding system is complex, but it essentially “delivers a minimum amount of funding, essentially based on what we did last year, with some adjustments,” said John Affeldt, a lawyer with Public Advocates, one of several groups that filed the lawsuits. (The suits' plaintiffs include one of the state's teachers unions, associations representing the state's school boards and administrators, the state Parent-Teacher Association, a group of non-profits representing low-income, minority families, and more than 60 individuals.)
Creating a funding system around what it costs to prepare each student for college or a career would ensure “every student can succeed in the work force and succeed as an engaged citizen in our democracy,” Affeldt said.
But the county court dismissed that claim, saying that the state legislature can fund schools how it chooses and the constitution does not demand that schools meet any bar for excellence.
And beyond the constitutional issues, the case also raises questions about what it means for schools to prepare students for college and to participate fully in civic life, and how much that costs.
NEW FUNDS, BUT STILL STRESSED
At Whittier High School, the increased focus on graduation is apparent in the classroom. One a recent afternoon, six school administrators walked into an eleventh-grade history class to have a serious talk with the students. The school's juniors are earning many more Ds and Fs than students in other grades, the administrators told the students.
"We’re not freaking out but we do have a concern," said assistant principal Tim California court to rule on suit to scrap K-12 funding system | 89.3 KPCC:
