Overview
- The North Carolina Supreme Court, which issued its decision Thursday, ended the 32-year Leandro lawsuit in a 4-3 ruling written by Chief Justice Paul Newby.
- The court vacated post-2017 orders and dismissed the case after finding trial courts lacked jurisdiction to impose a statewide remedy or direct education spending.
- The decision nullifies a multiyear plan that advocates said required $677.8 million through June 2023 and projected $4 billion to $5 billion more each year by 2028.
- Republican leaders praised the ruling as restoring appropriations power to the General Assembly, while Gov. Josh Stein and education groups said it undercuts students’ constitutional rights.
- With enforcement now left to lawmakers as they return for budget work in April, plaintiffs and even a dissenting justice predicted new local lawsuits over unmet school needs.