A lawsuit filed in 2017 by a group of school districts and education support groups alleging state budget cuts deprived schools of necessary capital funding for more than a decade has been given a tentative September trial date, with a possibility of moving to January.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Martin ruled last month that the court will examine whether or not the current finance system met minimum upkeep standards for schools in the state.
The trial standard he set for consideration must establish minimum funding standards and provide sufficient funding so that districts can meet them, and that the state’s funding mechanism must not cause “substantial disparities between districts.”
Because of changes made to school funding mechanisms, the state had asked that the case be dismissed. Judge Martin refused.
More than three decades ago, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled the funding system at the time did not meet the Arizona Constitution’s requirements for uniformity across districts. Legislative changes were made to address the problem, but plaintiffs in the current lawsuit allege the Legislature gradually backslid into a disparity-laden funding system.
Their argument is that the state did not dedicate enough money for building upkeep, meet its inspection responsibilities, provide enough money for equipment and transportation, and failed to update facility adequacy guidelines.
Districts have come to rely on bond and override measures to fund upgrades. Such measures face difficulties winning approval in poorer districts. (Source)