There is a new development in the long, fought out case against the state for school funding for eight small school districts. WBFO's Focus on Education reporter Eileen Buckley says this lawsuit was filed back in 2008.
The Small City schools funding lawsuit involves eight school districts. In Western New York it includes the Niagara Falls City School District and Jamestown City School District.
Court papers filed indicated the State and plaintiff parents agrees that over the past five years the eight districts have not received the $1.1 billion they should have under the 2007 Foundation Aid Formula.
Gregory Little is one of the New York City Attorney's for the plaintiff parents in this case. "As a result of those cuts, these eight districts have not been able to give their students the opportunity for a sound, basic education which they're entitled to under the New York State Constitution," said Little in a WBFO News interview. "We don't thing there is any excuse. The state should do the right thing and provide that funding."
The Formula was designed to provide school districts with 'adequate resources' so in turn the schools could provide a sound, basic education. But as Little points out, these small school districts, like Niagara Falls and Jamestown, also high poverty cities, have instead been forced to make a number of funding cuts.
"They've had to cut teachers, they've had to support staff, like reading specialists, math specialists, they've had to cut social workers, they've had to cut nurses. The graduation rates have declined. The test scores have declined," stated Little.
The findings were filed Wednesday by the Plaintiffs. Briefs will be filed in support of their position and then the trial judge will issue a decision.
Here is a full list of all eight school districts: Mount Vernon, Port Jervis, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Utica, Jamestown and Niagara Falls.