TRENTON — The state Supreme Court Tuesday morning is expected to issue its latest ruling on Abbott vs. Burke, the state's long-running school court battle over school funding. The latest round in the landmark case arose after Gov. Chris Christie last year cut school aid by about $1 billion for 2009-10. The Education Law Center, a Newark-based school advocacy...
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Supreme court associate justices Helen Hoens, Barry Albin, Jaynee LaVecchia, Roberto A. Rivera-Soto and temporary justice Edwin Stern listen to David Sciarra, executive director of the Newark-based Education Law Center during a hearing in the Abbott v. Burke school funding case before the New Jersey Supreme Court in Trenton last month.TRENTON — The state Supreme Court Tuesday morning is expected to issue its latest ruling on Abbott vs. Burke, the state's long-running school court battle over school funding.
The latest round in the landmark case arose after Gov. Chris Christie last year cut school aid by about $1 billion for 2009-10. The Education Law Center, a Newark-based school advocacy group, filed a court challenge to Christie's cuts, charging that they "indisputably violated" the state's obligation fo fund schools under the 2008 school funding law.
Arguments were heard in the Supreme Court earlier this year, and Superior Court Judge Peter Doyne was appointed as "special master" to take testimony and prepare a report on the case.
In his report in March, Doyne found that "how money is spent is much more important than how much money is spent," but nevetheless said the schools — and in particular, the poorest schools — were shortchanged.
"Despite spending levels that meet or exceed virtually every state in the country, and that saw a significant increase in spending levels from 2000 to 2008, our ‘at-risk’ children are now moving further from proficiency," Doyne said.
Christie has threatened to defy the court if it ordered a restoration up to $1.7 billion for public schools — the number would have increased if the formula had been fully funded — but in recent weeks, the governor has refused to comment on the likelihood of that possibility.
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• Gov. Christie's legal team tells N.J. Supreme Court to keep hands off education dollars
• Advocate tells N.J. Supreme Court state aid cuts deprived children of adequate education
