The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled Thursday that state courts cannot order lawmakers to spend money on public schools, closing the Leandro case after nearly 32 years and reversing a 2022 decision that had allowed a court-ordered transfer of education funds.
The 4-3 ruling was based on separation of powers, not on whether North Carolina is meeting its constitutional duty to provide every child a sound basic education. That leaves the core funding question unresolved for districts across the state, including Durham Public Schools.
- Leandro began in 1994, when five low-wealth counties sued the state over inadequate school funding. The case became the main legal fight over how North Carolina should meet its constitutional education obligation.
- The most recent dispute centered on whether courts could force the state to fund a multiyear plan that called for about $5.6B in education improvements.
- Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote that the judicial branch does not have the power to resolve education policy disputes between the other branches or direct state spending.
- Democratic Gov. Josh Stein said the ruling does not change the state's responsibility to students, while Republican legislative leaders said the decision correctly leaves spending decisions with the General Assembly.
The split was not fully partisan. Republican Justice Richard Dietz joined Democratic Justices Allison Riggs and Anita Earls in dissent.
The decision sends the funding fight back to lawmakers at a time when public school advocates have also raised alarms about North Carolina's low per-pupil spending and rising private school voucher costs. For Durham families, the practical question did not change Thursday: how much the state is willing to put into public schools without a court forcing it.