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The endless school appeal
From The Oregonian – editorial
May 19, 2008 - (Portland, Ore.)--Oregon school districts are justified to ask the courts for financial help, but they'll have more luck making their case again to voters, lawmakers
Courts in other states have cheerfully ordered lawmakers to spend more on K-12 schools. Sometimes, they've used the barest of legal threads to embroider their opinions.
Oregon isn't one of those states. It has a constitutional mandate for adequate education funding but judges who are historically reluctant to police that mandate. If Oregon residents want their K-12 schools to be better funded, they may need to look beyond the courts for relief.
The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled last week that the Legislature has no constitutional obligation to spend the additional billions required to meet the state's ambitious education goals. The plaintiffs, which include districts from Pendleton to east Portland, intend to appeal.