Why some people support court decision to throw out NC school funding lawsuit
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Court dismissed Leandro funding order, removing judicial mandate on school budgets.
- Supporters say ruling restores budget power to the General Assembly and legislators.
- Republican leaders urge legislative reforms on pay, literacy, choice and funding models.
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The Leandro case & NC public schools
Since 1994, the long-running Leandro school lawsuit has seen the courts go back and forth about what it means when the North Carolina constitution says “equal opportunities shall be provided for all students.” Meanwhile, state leaders have grappled with how to provide a “sound basic education” for North Carolina’s 1.5 million public school students.
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The North Carolina Supreme Court’s 4-3 decision to dismiss the long-running Leandro school funding lawsuit and throw out a 2022 court ruling ordering the transfer of funds for public schools is being praised by some people.
Republican lawmakers and conservative groups had been critical of past court rulings authorizing the money transfer. Supporters of Thursday’s ruling said it recognizes that the courts shouldn’t intervene in matters that should be left up to state lawmakers.
Here’s a sampling of some of the reactions supporting the new court ruling.:
Senate leader Phil Berger
“For decades, liberal education special interests have improperly tried to hijack North Carolina’s constitutional funding process in order to impose their policy preferences via judicial fiat. Today’s decision confirms that the proper pathway for policymaking is the legislative process.
“Today, North Carolina’s children have access to world-class educational opportunities because of the legislature’s commitment to improving educational outcomes. As we prepare for the short session, Senate Republicans will continue our ongoing focus on increasing parental involvement and educational opportunities for students.
“Since 2011, the Republican-led General Assembly has worked to ensure that our state’s schools prioritize student outcomes that prepare the next generation for life outside academia. In doing so, we’ve reformed how core subjects are taught, substantially increased funding, and created pathways for all students to attend a school that best meets their needs.”
Demi Dowdy, a spokesperson for House Speaker Destin Hall
“Today’s decision rightly recognizes the constitutional role of the North Carolina General Assembly, since the state Constitution entrusts sole appropriations authority to the legislature. House Republicans remain committed to investing in public education, including through our budget proposal to raise starting teacher pay to $50,000 and provide 8.7% average raises to our public school teachers.”
Donald Bryson, CEO of the John Locke Foundation
“This is a victory for the Constitution, the rule of law, and the people of North Carolina. The court correctly recognized that judges cannot write the state budget from the bench based on the opinions of an unelected judge and consultants from California. Budgets must be written by elected representatives who are accountable to the people — not by litigants who lost at the ballot box and went fishing for a judicial bailout. “Every child deserves access to a high-quality education. With this ruling behind us, lawmakers should focus on proven solutions — strengthening early literacy, rewarding excellent teachers, empowering parents with choice, and modernizing North Carolina’s broken school funding system so dollars follow students, not bureaucracies.”
This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 6:27 PM.
