APS board to discuss suing state for funding

From KOB.com - By: Jeff Maher, Eyewitness News 4 - KOB Eyewitness News 4 has learned there is going to be some serious discussion Friday morning with some APS school board members pushing the district to sue the state. They would be trying to get millions they say the state should be giving the school district. Not all school board members think a lawsuit is the best move to take. APS school board President Marty Esquivel says suing the state could backfire on the school district. He says it could cost up to $1 million and with appeals, could go on for years. And he says there is no guarantee that constitutionally, the courts have the authority to mandate a certain amount of funding for the state to give to education. "This is nothing that I think APS could do on its own, other school districts would have to step up and be apart of it," Esquivel said Thursday. Esquivel says public education currently makes up about 45 percent of the state's budget. He says that used to be higher; about 53 percent more than a decade ago. Some school board members, including Robert Lucero, are not satisfied with that, and are pushing for a lawsuit. "The constitution states clearly that education is supposed to be funded adequately," said Lucero. Lucero points out that previous successful lawsuits against the state have ensured a set amount of funding to be allocated to state prisons for each prisoner. He thinks APS could do the same. Read more

APS board to discuss suing state for funding