A new ruling in the Flores lawsuit puts education funding decisions back where they belong
Unlike the Rolling Stones, Arizona taxpayers might get some satisfaction after a recent federal court ruling. Last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals sent the Flores v. Arizona education lawsuit back to Tucson. That move cancels an earlier, hefty fine of some $21 million levied against the state.
The case involves questions about the adequacy of funding for English language learner programs in Arizona. Because the legislature and governor missed previous court-imposed deadlines to change the funding formula, a judge set escalating daily fines starting at $500,000.
Fundamentally, this case highlights the danger of overreaching judicial authority. Deciding how much money a state should spend on public education should be reserved to the legislature. No federal judge should wield the authority to dictate what amount should be spent to educate children.
Fortunately, the Ninth Circuit realized that the "landscape of educational funding" has changed in Arizona, requiring the lower court to reassess its fines. That gives the Tucson court a chance to reconsider its ruling and leave the matter to the legislature.
Benjamin Barr is a constitutional policy analyst with the Goldwater Institute Center for Constitutional Studies.
Key Links:
-Goldwater Institute: "Estudiantes de ELL Necesitan Opciones"
-Arizona Republic: "English learner fines are dropped"
-Arizona Daily Star: "Learning English involves more than money"
