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Leandro, Again
A perspective from Dorothy Hammett
This week, the North Carolina Supreme Court will again hear oral arguments in the Leandro School Funding Case. Despite the landmark victory for public school funding in 2022, a change in the political make-up of the courts has prompted an unprecedented and unjust rehearing of the case. In Leandro v. The State of NC, originally settled over twenty-five years ago, the court ruled that the state must guarantee every student access to a quality education and fully funded public schools. For decades, politicians have outright ignored this ruling and refused to fund our public schools. Now our court has decided to reopen a case that has long been settled.
I am proud to be a part of the Every Child NC Coalition demanding that our children get the resources they deserve. North Carolina has billions in unused revenue that could go toward fulfilling Leandro, but our legislature continues to ignore the needs of students across North Carolina in favor of private schools and tax cuts for their wealthy political donors. Our leaders have a responsibility to provide the public school funding that North Carolina’s students are owed.
Every North Carolina student, no matter their neighborhood or background, deserves an education that sets them up for success in school and life. It’s a right guaranteed in our state constitution. That’s only possible when we fully fund our public schools and guarantee that every student in North Carolina has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Under the Leandro Plan, the state would provide nearly $10 million to Orange County for early childhood programs including Smart Start and the Infant-Toddler program along with other funding for education needs. Providing students with a strong start has proven to result in significant payback.
If the court chooses to deny students their constitutional rights, we risk a cycle of underfunded public schools that harms not only our children, but also our economy, our democracy, and our state as a whole. The state’s refusal to provide our children with a sound basic education is morally reprehensible, disgraceful, shameful.
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