JUNEAU, Alaska — The State of Alaska will pay $18 million over the next three years as part of a settlement in a statewide education lawsuit concerning the adequacy and equality of education in rural schools.
The lawsuit was formally settled Thursday afternoon.
A group called Citizens for the Educational Advancement for Alaska’s Children brought on the lawsuit -- known as the Moore Case -- back in 2004, because it felt the state wasn’t providing enough educational instruction in rural schools for its students to pass state-required graduation exams.
According to CEAAC director Charles Wohlforth, in 2007 a judge found that while the state was meeting some constitutional requirements for school funding, it was not meeting its obligations to make sure students had a chance to perform well on the state tests, particularly in rural districts.
The judge ordered the state to take specific actions to improve student performance, like implementing a pre-kindergarten program in schools, but CEEAC contends that the state didn’t do enough.
