How much money has been awarded the NYC school system on the court’s most recent decision? What was the court’s decision? What was the dissenting opinion? What does the last paragraph of the article imply?
Spitzer (governor elect) has carefully made a statement regarding the matter,
”We must provide more funding than this constitutional minimum, so that all of New York’s schoolchildren have an opportunity to thrive in the 21st century workplace…”
How has his opinion on the matter changed since the election?
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Throughout his campaign, Mr. Eliot Spitzer repeatedly said that up to $8.5 billion must be spent on needy school districts throughout the state, including at least at $4 billion a year for New York City. But Republican lawmakers, among them Joseph Bruno, the State Senate majority leader have repeatedly sought to blcok the additional spending. The 4-2 decision by the Court of Appeals ended the case not with an excalmation point but with a mumble. It included three different opinions on the amount of money that ought by the judge who provided the swing vote for the majority. That judge bluntly stated that he was not sure that $1.93 billion a year was the proper figure. The figure is much lower than the $4.7 billion a year that lower courts had said was needed to give the city's children the opportunity for a sound basic education guaranteed by the State Constitution. New York State's highest court ended a landmark 13-year court battle over education financing today by releasing its ruling that an additional $1.93 billion must be spent each year on New York City's public schools. The decision yesterday also vacated earlier court rulings mandating more than $9 billion for school construction and other renovations and enhancements to facilites. The court noted that the state's authorization earlier this year of $11.1 billion in financing for school construction in New York City had met the state's obligation. Mr. Spitzer promised that his executive budget in February will be including "the expenditure of significant funding on a state wide basis as part of a multi-year plan." And he called for improved oversight to make sure the money is spent well.
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