Arkansas Hoedown

What does a group of Arkansas school districts do when their own state's government refuses to appropriate sufficient funding for education? They file a lawsuit:

Arkansas believed it settled a long-running fight over school funding last year, but nearly a quarter of the state's school districts were back in court Thursday accusing the Legislature of neglecting education.

Lawyers for 47 districts -- from rich northwestern Arkansas and the poorer Delta -- told the Arkansas Supreme Court it was obligated to reopen a lawsuit that led to changes in the way the state funds its public school system.

In a 2002 ruling, justices said Arkansas' state government had a constitutional duty to provide a properly funded school system, with money shared equally among districts and their students.

A lawyer for the Legislature and Gov. Mike Huckabee said, however, if districts are unhappy with their appropriations, they should file a new lawsuit.

I wonder if its occurred to anyone in Arkansas that the only people that this type of bickering benefits are the lawyers. ---------------------------For the latest edition of The Carnival of Education, along with entry instructions for next week's Carnival, please click here.

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