A judge has thrown out a lawsuit against New York that claimed the state was shortchanging students in eight small-city districts and denying their constitutional right to a “sound basic education.”
While calling the students’ performance “undeniably inadequate,” state Supreme Court Justice Kimberly O’Connor said the plaintiffs hadn’t proved the state has not met its obligation to them. The ruling last month said the state could adjust funding levels for districts based on fluctuations in its fiscal condition and still deliver on its obligation to ensure students have access to an adequate education.
The lawsuit was filed in 2008 on behalf of students in Jamestown, Kingston, Mount Vernon, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Port Jervis, Poughkeepsie, and Utica, cities challenged by high rates of poverty, students with disabilities, and English-language learners.
