Education Fight Looms In Appeals Court

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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - A years-long legal fight about whether Florida is providing an adequate public-education system has moved to the 1st District Court of Appeal.

Plaintiffs in the case, led by the groups Citizens for Strong Schools, Inc., and Fund Education Now, have filed a notice of appeal after a Leon County circuit judge rejected their arguments, according to online court dockets.

The case, which was filed in 2009, is rooted in a 1998 constitutional amendment that says it is a "paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders."

The amendment fleshed that out, in part, by saying adequate provision will be made for a "uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system" of public schools.

The lawsuit alleged that the state had failed to comply with the constitutional amendment. But Circuit Judge George Reynolds on May 24 rejected the lawsuit, writing that the "weight of the evidence shows that the state has made education a top priority both in terms of implementation of research-based education policies and reforms, as well as education funding."

Plaintiffs said at the time they planned to appeal Reynolds' ruling and filed the notice of appeal last month, according to the dockets.

The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.