Commonwealth Court Judge rules in favor of the plaintiffs

KANE- Kane Area School District's Superintendent Jeannine Kloss explained at Thursday's meeting that a lawsuit was filed against the Commonwealth of PA in 2014 by several school districts, parents, and two educational groups.

Those groups included the PA Association for Rural and Small Schools claiming that the state's funding system for K-12 public schools does not meet the standard set in the state constitution by failing to provide students in the Commonwealth with a "thorough and efficient system" of education.

The petitioners argued that students in school districts with low property values and low incomes have not been afforded the same educational resources and opportunities as children who attend school in wealthier districts.

Kloss continued to explain that in an almost 800-page decision, Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer ruled in favor of the plaintiffs on Tuesday recognizing that education is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Pennsylvania Constitution and declaring that the respondents have not fulfilled their obligations to all school-age children in the Commonwealth under the Education Clause.

The court has put it back on state government and agencies with expertise in the field of education to formulate a plan to provide the necessary funding to ensure that all students have access to a comprehensive, effective, and contemporary system of public education regardless of the level of poverty in their community.

During the meeting, Kloss added that it is important to note that there was no directive provided in the court's decision for how or when a funding plan should be complete, and, with a likely appeal, it could take a few more years before there are any significant changes.