NC Supreme Court ends long-running Leandro lawsuit: How we got here
>> WE QUESTION EVERYTHING.
>> TODAY'S STATE SUPREME COURT
RULING ON THE LEANDRO CASE HAS
BEEN DECADES IN THE MAKING.
THERE HAVE BEEN COUNTLESS COURT
HEARINGS, LAWSUITS AND APPEALS.
IT'S CONFUSING, BUT IT IS
IMPORTANT. SO WE WANT TO TRY TO
SIMPLIFY THIS FOR YOU. WRAL'S
MEGAN CLARDY EXPLAINS HOW WE
GOT HERE.
>> LET'S START WITH THIS.
WHO IS LEANDRO? THIS IS LEANDRO
ROBERT LEANDRO AN 8TH GRADE
STUDENT AT HOKE COUNTY HIGH
SCHOOL BACK IN 1994. WHEN THE
LAWSUIT AGAINST THE STATE WAS
FIRST FILED. ROBERT'S MOM,
KATHY LEE AND ROLL WAS AMONG
THE PARENTS AND EDUCATORS IN
5 COUNTIES WHO SUED THE STATE.
THEY ARGUE THEIR SCHOOL
DISTRICTS WERE NOT PROPERLY
FUNDED AND THE STATE MUST STEP
UP. IN 1997, THE STATE SUPREME
COURT ISSUED A RULING THAT
EVERY CHILD WAS GUARANTEED A,
QUOTE, OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE A
SOUND BASIC EDUCATION IN 1999,
A JUDGE NAMED HOWARD MANNING
JUNIOR STARTED OVERSEEING THE
CASE. THE TASK OF MAKING SURE
THE STATE MET MINIMUM STANDARDS
OF EDUCATION. IN 2002, HE RULED
THAT HOKE COUNTY AND THE STATE
DID NOT MEET THE STANDARD.
IN 2004, THE SUPREME COURT
AGREED WITH MANNING'S RULING
ON HOKE COUNTY BUT DECLINED
TO DECIDE ON THE WHOLE STATE
OVER A DECADE LATER IN 2016,
JUDGE DAVID LEE TOOK OVER THE
CASE AND THE STATEWIDE QUESTION
WAS BACK AT THE FOREFRONT.
WHAT DID NORTH CAROLINA HAVE TO
DO TO MEET THE MINIMUM
STANDARDS IN 2018 WEST? ED, THE
LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE AND
NC STATE UNIVERSITY'S FRIDAY
INSTITUTE WORK TOGETHER TO COME
UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS
2 YEARS LATER, THEIR REPORT
WENT PUBLIC. THE HEADLINE
INCREASE EDUCATION FUNDING BY
7 BILLION DOLLARS OVER 8 YEARS.
THE STATE AGREED TO THE
FINDINGS AND COMMITTED TO
MAKING A PLAN IN 2021. THEY
SUBMITTED THAT PLAN AIMING TO
INCREASE FUNDING BY 5 AND A
HALF BILLION DOLLARS BY 2028.
JUDGE LEE GAVE IT THE GREEN
LIGHT. BUT WITH THE STATE
BUDGET PASSED EDUCATION FUNDING
CAME UP SHORT BY OVER A BILLION
DOLLARS. JUDGE LEE ORDERED THE
STATE TO MAKE UP THE
DIFFERENCE. BUT A COURT RULED
HE COULD NOT DO THAT SAYING
ONLY THE LEGISLATURE HAD THE
POWER OF THE PURSE IN 2022
JUDGE MICHAEL ROBINSON TOOK
OVER THE CASE AND HE DID SOME
RECALCULATING FINDING THE NEW
FUNDING GAP WAS 785 MILLION.
LATER THAT YEAR, THE SUPREME
COURT ORDERED THE STATE TO
TRANCE FOR THAT FUNDING.
BUT AFTER A 2022 ELECTIONS, THE
SUPREME COURT CHANGED FROM
MAJORITY DEMOCRAT TO MAJORITY
REPUBLICAN. AND THIS NEW GROUP
OF JUSTICES AGREED TO REHEAR
THE CASE.
SINCE THEN 2 YEARS OF SILENCE.
NOTHING FROM THE COURTS UNTIL
TODAY. THE OLD RULINGS VACATED
THE 2021 PLAN THROWN OUT.