Plaintiffs in New York’s 13-year-old school finance lawsuit have asked the state’s highest court to resolve the case by June.
The Campaign for Fiscal Equity is seeking expedited consideration for its request that the Court of Appeals order the state to dramatically increase state aid to New York City schools.
Lower-court judges have estimated that the city’s schools need an additional $4.8 billion to $5.6 billion, phased in over four years, to be financed adequately.
In most cases, the Court of Appeals takes a year to hear arguments and issue an opinion, Michael A. Rebell, a counsel for the New York City nonprofit group, said in an April 18 telephone news conference announcing the action.
If the request is not granted, the CFE would likely have to wait until the 2007 legislative session to resolve the case, said Geri D. Palast, its executive director.
