Advocating for Public Schools in the Courts
NEWS lawsuit ruling
Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS), a coalition comprising community groups, public school
districts, local education associations and the WEA, along with some parents, sued the state in early January 2007,
claiming it has not upheld its constitutional obligation to fully fund public education for all children. Read the
full text of the complaint.
The Kent Education Association has repeatedly invited/urged the Kent School Board to join the NEWS lawsuit. The Kent School
Board recently (Feb, 2009) accepted the Association's advice and voted to join the NEWS lawsuit!
Superior Court Judge John Erlick has ruled (Feb 04, 2010) in NEWS' favor on all elements of the coalition's suit against the State of Washington. The court declared
the state is out of compliance with the Washington Constitution, and ordered the Legislature to determine the actual costs of providing an ample education
for all K-12 students, and to determine a stable and reliable source of funding.
Here are more details from the NEWS coalition attorneys:
