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Suit takes school funding to court

By Julia Sivlerman, The Associated Press in the Eugene Register Guard

March 22, 2006 - (Portland, Ore.)--The debate over how to best fund Oregon's public schools shifted to the courtroom Tuesday, opening a new chapter in the state's long-simmering debate over education spending.
Six school districts and three families filed suit against the state, accusing legislative leaders of violating the Oregon Constitution by chronically underfunding schools.

The six school districts are Eugene, Pendleton, Corvallis, Coos Bay, Crow-Applegate-Lorane and Three Rivers; the families are from Hillsboro, Ashland and Portland. The suit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
Oregon is the 39th state to turn to the courts for direction on school funding.

Of the other cases, 21 have resulted in courts ordering lawmakers to restructure school funding, eight have been won by the state and nine are still pending.

"We have 15 years of public education in front of our family,'' said Maria Peyerwold, who joined the suit on behalf of her 7-year-old daughter, Grace, a student at Portland's Alameda Elementary school. "It is so easy to see that this is constitutionally mandated; you can't pick and choose what you decide to follow.''

Per-pupil school funding in Oregon has been on the decline since 1990, when voters passed Measure 5, shifting the bulk of responsibility for school funding to the state.

In 2006, Oregon ranked 31st in per-pupil spending nationwide, according to a survey by Education Week, which said the state spent an average of $7,491 per pupil, below the national average of $8,041.