DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - A Davenport attorney has filed a lawsuit alleging the Iowa’s school funding system is unfair because some districts receive more money per student than others.
Catherine Cartee filed the class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of two graduates of Davenport school district high schools, the Quad-City Times (https://bit.ly/2gXUf2j ) reported. The lawsuit said 176 school districts in Iowa collect up to $175 more per student than the Davenport district does when using the same funding formula.
The lawsuit argued that the inequity is a violation of equal protection under the law, a violation of the students’ due process and civil rights. The plaintiffs requested a jury trial, but the Iowa Department of Education did not provide an immediate response.
The state education department recently filed an ethics complaint against Davenport schools Superintendent Art Tate, saying the school district openly broke the law by using money in a reserve account to pay for ongoing programming that focuses on helping at-risk students. Tate has declined to comment on the complaint.
Tate and school board members have previously noted the funding inequity. Cartee said the state’s actions are discriminatory.
“I think it’s time someone actually stands up to the Legislature, and the governor, and gets them to do what’s right,” she said.
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Information from: Quad-City Times, https://www.qctimes.com
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