Oregon Supreme Court rejects school funding case

Portland Business Journal:

he Oregon Supreme Court has largely rejected a suit demanding the Legislature substantially increase K-12 school funding.

In a ruling today, the state Supreme Court largely affirmed a lower court ruling in Pendleton School District v. State of Oregon, a much-watched suit brought on behalf of 18 school districts and seven students. The suit alleged the state is in violation of a 2000 voter-approved ballot measure that requires the Legislature to fund schools at "a level sufficient to meet certain quality educational goals established by law."

The suit sought an injunction to direct the Legislature to appropriate the "necessary" funds.

Writing for the court, Chief Justice Paul DeMuniz agreed the Legislature has failed to fully fund public schools. However, he said the court concluded that Oregon voters did not intend for the courts to enforce funding requirements when they passed Ballot Measure 1 in 2000, a constitutional amendment that became Article VIII, section 8, of the state Constitution.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at January 24, 2009 1:01 AM
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