News in Brief

West Virginia's landmark school-finance lawsuit has been reopened in an effort to force further legislative changes in the state's funding scheme, which the plaintiffs say is still inequitable.

The 1982 ruling in Pauley v. Bailey ordered West Virginia to implement a "master plan" to meet the state constitution's test of a "thorough and efficient" education system.

In his 244-page decision, Judge Arthur Recht included exhaustive specific mandates. The ruling was the first where a court assumed the state legislature's traditional role...