NEWS STORY! I AM LEANDRO DEFENDS PRE-K AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
NEWS STORY! I AM LEANDRO DEFENDS PRE-K AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

In the landmark case known as Leandro v. NC, The NC Supreme Court upheld the Constitutional right to a sound basic education four times from 1997-2024. The state was found to be violating this right. During the course of litigation, the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan was developed by experts to bring the state into compliance. It would require a $5.54 billion investment over eight years to implement the plan. Despite having the money, the state refused to release the funds.

The NCSC reheard Leandro without new evidence in 2024 and dismissed the case with prejudice in 2026 without requiring the state to fund the Leandro Plan. However the violation persists and The Leandro Plan still offers a carefully designed, viable path forward toward success for NC’s educators, administrators, school resources and students.

Whether we’re students, parents, educators, business leaders, public health officials, lawyers, social workers or concerned community members, we are all stakeholders in public education. Join us in the #IAmLeandro movement. Together, we can get Leandro out of the courtroom and put it where it belongs— the classroom!

SIGN PETITION
SIGN PETITION

Bring it home!

So what could Leandro mean for the students and schools in your community if the Leandro Plan was fully funded?

I’m so glad you asked! Our friends at Every Child NC broke it down by the numbers, county by county!

Click here
Click here

“Justice delayed is Justice denied.” MLK

In a January 2020 court order, State Superior Court Judge David Lee, stated, “…the state is further behind in providing a “sound basic education” than it was even in the 1990s, and that the state must “work expeditiously and without delay to take all necessary actions.”

Unfortunately, the words of the NC Supreme Court Justices was met with resistance. The General Assembly challenged the courts authority to make them fund the Leandro Plan during late summer of 2022.

Read Article
Read Article

November 4, 2022 was a decisive victory for “Leandro” and the people of NC. The courts determined North Carolina was required to invest $1.7B to fund years two and three of the Leandro Plan and ordered the controller to release the funds. Instead, the Controller waited until after the new NCSC bench was seated and filed a motion. In the budget that passed in September of 2023, the General Assembly funded about 11% of the plan while taking $203M away from public education and funneling the resources towards private schools via the voucher expansion that removed income restrictions for recipients. In December, the NCSC announced that it would hear Leandro v. NC February 22, 2024. We are still awaiting their verdict.

The people sued and the people decisively won on November 4, 2022. With each passing day, our state knowingly violates the constitutional rights of the children of our state. The battle was won in the court of law should not be in jeopardy today. The future of our children will remain in the balance until THE PEOPLE are aware and demand justice! The truth is, thriving children and a literate society is in the best interest of us all. We are all Leandro!

Sign Petition
Sign Petition