Can Colorado Educate All Students Equitably?

Colorado’s Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 vote yesterday that a group of plaintiffs have the right to challenge whether the state government is providing enough funding for schools—and providing it in an equitable way.

The case, Labato v. Colorado, which alleges that the state’s current plans violate a constitutional requirement that funding be “thorough and uniform,” can now go to trial, reports Law Week Colorado, which notes that if the lawsuit is successful, the state could be held liable for an additional $2.9 billion a year for public schools.

Attorney General John Suthers, who represented the state in the case, says the ruling does not bode well for taxpayers, writes The Denver Post.

Meanwhile, state Representative Jack Pommer (pictured), a Boulder Democrat and member of the Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, doesn’t seem too thrilled either: “In terms of education, this might ultimately force the state to provide a thorough education to every student. Of course, we can’t afford that.”

The Lobato case began in 2005, the start of a long, winding legal battle, notes INDenverTimes.