By Howard Riedel
Albany, NY – The New York State Court of Appeals has issued a decision that could settle a battle over school aid that's been going on for more than 13 years.
The court decided Monday it is reasonable to give New York City schools nearly $2 billion a year in additional funding to enable them to provide a sound, basic education. The ruling settles a lawsuit brought by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, a special interest group comprised in part of parents and teachers' unions.
The amount the court settled on is the minimum amount proposed by a panel appointed by Governor Pataki, and less than the $5.6 billion figure set by a lower court. Incoming governor Eliot Spitzer has the option of providing more than that amount in state aid, and has already suggested he will.
The ruling is expected to impact districts in Buffalo and across the state, as state officials have said all along that the results of this litigation would be applied statewide.