We won!

August 5, 2022

Last week on Friday, August 5, in our lawsuit against the damaging school budget cuts, Judge Lyle Black issued a court order that requires the city to revert to the last year’s education budget with a few exceptions, until and unless the City Council takes a revote on the education budget. I described on the blog what happened in the courtroom the day before, when he questioned the attorneys and then explained what he would likely rule.

This is a tremendous victory for all parents and teachers who have decried the devastating effect that these cuts would have on schools & students’ ability to learn safely and well next year.  An FAQ prepared by Laura Barbieri, the attorney for the plaintiffs, that goes into more detail about what the Court Order actually says is here.

The City appealed the Judge’s decision today, and we are hopeful that the Appellate Court will come to a final decision very soon, despite the City’s request that arguments be put off until September.

In any case, Judge Frank’s decision empowers the City Council to take action, to demand that the Mayor return to the negotiating table, and start advocating for a better budget that restores these egregious cuts as soon as possible.

Please call your City Council members today; urge them to insist that ALL the budget cuts to schools be restored, anywhere between the $469 million that the Comptroller found Fair Student funding has been cut, and the $1 billion that we estimate will otherwise be cut from school Galaxy budgets this year.

thanks, Leonie