CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — A Davidson County judge says she plans to rule this week on whether to grant class-action certification on a lawsuit filed by several school boards alleging Tennessee’s education funding shortchanges them and students.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports (http://bit.ly/1KM7hMv) Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman made the announcement following a hearing on Wednesday.
The lawsuit was filed by school systems in Bradley, Coffee, Hamilton, Grundy, Marion, McMinn and Polk counties.
Awarding the lawsuit class-action status would allow other local school systems to benefit, with the exception of Shelby County. The Memphis-based district filed its own lawsuit Monday, charging state government has violated the Tennessee constitutional provision mandating a free system of public education.
Tennessee’s Basic Education Program distributes some $6 billion annually to 144 school districts that are required to share the cost based on local ability to raise revenues
