A landmark case that is headed to trial on Tuesday could potentially inflict a huge financial impact on Connecticut as the court questioning the constitutionality of Connecticut's public school funding system was has allegedly failed to provide a "suitable and substantially equal" education to all students.
According to Wall Street Journal, the decade-old lawsuit was brought to fore by a coalition consisting of cities, local school boards and over three dozen private plaintiffs, which include parents and their children.
Judge Thomas Moukawsher is presiding over the trial.
The parties contend that Connecticut's method of funding public schools is unconstitutional as it has created an "educational underclass" since "the level of resources provided by the state's education funding scheme is arbitrary and not related to the actual costs of ... a suitable education," the Hartford Courant noted.
Principal consultant of the coalition Jim Finley said, "What's at issue is whether students and districts are getting the resources they need to ensure that every student, regardless of where they live, has an equal opportunity to get an adequate and equitable education."
"The fundamental importance of the lawsuit is that it aims to give Connecticut's children the kind and quality of education that is going to enable them live as productive adults," added David Rosen, one of the attorneys of the plaintiffs.
Plaintiffs aver that Connecticut relies on property taxes to pool funds for schools, a system that gives wealthier district the advantage to provide for better education compared to poorer districts.
Connecticut's state budget could suffer if a decision is made in favour of the coalition. As per court papers filed by the attorney general's office Wednesday, it was said that a "fair reading of the entire complaint shows that an increase in state funding of education is precisely what plaintiffs seek."
The creation of a new public school system is expected to cost the state an estimate of over $2 billion, a spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office said.
The $2 billion award would spike Connecticut's spending by 11% this year, cutting off a huge chunk of the state's $18 billion general-fund budget.
The state attorney general's office, which represents the state of Connecticut, asserts that the state is in full compliance of its constitutional responsibilities as to school-funding, thus the additional $2 billion fund is unnecessary, Fox 61 reported.
Critics, however, suggest that while they are sympathetic to the cause of the plaintiffs an increase in expenditure will not necessarily result in an improved education system. It will also be difficult to determine if a certain amount is already "adequate and equitable" to fund systemic changes that will be sufficient to meet every student's needs.
