A case over school finance in New York has been dragging on now for more than 20 years.
The lawsuit, by a group known as the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE), was thought to have been settled in 2006. That's when the state's highest court ruled that New York failed to provide New York City with enough money for a "sound basic education," as required by its own state constitution. The following year, the state Legislature appropriated billions of additional dollars in school aid to rectify the funding formula for all New York school districts.
But those plans were thwarted by the 2008 financial crisis. As a result, education advocates say, the districts are still short about $4 billion, with almost $2 billion alone owed to New York City. Another lawsuit is now heading through the courts.
The case has now become dramatic fodder for a group of New York City high school students. They created a play showing how they've been affected by the lack of resources for their schools. Their scenes depict crowded classrooms that don't have enough notebooks, a school with a "gymnatorium," and politicians who keep passing the buck when questioned about money for public schools.
The 17 students who wrote and perform in the play are members of the Epic Theater Ensemble, a group that helps teens create their own plays with a social justice theme.
NYC Teens Spotlight School Funding Woes On Stage
Photo: Beth Fertig/WNYC