North Carolina Supreme Court Overturns Judicial Remedies for Public School System
The North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that a trial court lacked the authority to impose constitutional remedies for the state's failure to provide a quality education, effectively nullifying nine years of developments in the long-standing Leandro case. This case, which began in 1994, initially focused on the educational rights of students in five low-wealth counties and expanded to challenge the entire state education system. The court's decision, led by Chief Justice Paul Newby, a Republican, concluded that the trial court lost jurisdiction over the case in 2017, rendering subsequent rulings void. The decision was split 4-3, with dissenting opinions from Justices Anita Earls and Allison Riggs, both Democrats, and Republican Justice Richard Dietz. The ruling overturns a 2022 decision that allowed a trial court to order the state to disburse funds for a remedial education plan. 
