Attorneys: Pressure for Better Schools Should Leave Court

After two decades fighting about public school funding for North Carolina’s poorest students, attorneys say it’s time for them to step away from the courtroom and leave ongoing disputes to a neutral outsider.

Both sides in the landmark Leandro public school lawsuit are asking a state judge to appoint an independent consultant who will suggest further steps for state officials to improve education for all children.

Gov. Roy Cooper’s office on Tuesday released the text of an executive order creating a commission of experts to suggest what the state needs to do next. The governor’s commission and the court-appointed consultant would work together.

The moves come 20 years after the state Supreme Court ruled that the North Carolina Constitution guarantees every child “an opportunity to receive a sound basic education.”