Every child nc Leandro

1. For Immediate Release
June 9, 2021
Contact: info@everychildnc.org
Every Child NC Coordinating Committee Members:
Education Justice Alliance, Letha Muhammad etha@ejanc.org - Fernando Martinez fernando@ejanc.org
Advance Carolina: Marcus Bass marcus@advancecarolina.org
NC Justice Center: Matt Ellinwood matt@ncjustice.org - Sarah Montgomery sarahm@ncjustice.org
NC Early Education Coalition: Elaine Zuckerman, elainez@ncearlyeducationcoalition.org
Disability Rights NC: Reighlah Collins reighlah.collins@disabilityrightsnc.org - M. Alex Evans
m.alex.evans@disabilityrightsnc.org
ISLA NC (Immersion for Spanish Language Acquisition): Jenice Ramirez, jenice@laislaschool.org
Action4Equity: Kellie Easton, kellie@eastonreidgroup.com
Save Our Schools NC: Susan Book, space.pope@gmail.com- Renee Sekel, ra_sekel@yahoo.com
For immediate response: 919-599-1192
Every Child NC’s Statement on Superior Court Judge W. David Lee’s Order on Leandro Comprehensive
Remedial Plan
Every Child NC commends Judge Lee’s order requiring the state to fully implement the Leandro
Comprehensive Remedial Plan that was submitted to the courts on March 15. When the Plan was
submitted, our coalition of community members, parents, students, and grassroots policy advocates
noted that the Plan is strong, equitable, and affordable. Today, Judge Lee affirmed our assessment,
making it clear the entirety of the Plan must be implemented and must be done so expeditiously.
The responsibility to implement the Plan, comply with today’s Order, and fulfill an overdue
constitutional obligation to North Carolina students now rests in the hands of the General Assembly. As
the Order notes, the necessary legislation has already been written. Both the Governor’s budget and
H.B. 946 would implement the first two years of the Plan. Further, the General Assembly has
unprecedented revenue availability that is more than sufficient to fully fund the first two years of the
Plan multiple times over. The state could begin to fulfill its long-overdue constitutional debt to our
students immediately, if they so desire.
It is important to remember – as Judge Lee emphasized – that the Plan is not a “menu” of choices, but
“a comprehensive set of fiscal, programmatic, and strategic steps necessary to achieve the outcomes for
students required by our State Constitution.” Further, the Judge wisely notes that “federal COVID-
related funding is non-recurring and cannot be relied upon by the State to sustain ongoing programs
that are necessary to fulfill the State’s constitutional obligation to provide a sound basic education.”
Every Child NC will continue to monitor the General Assembly’s progress towards fully implementing the
Plan through sustainable state investment and bringing to account lawmakers who fall short of their
oath of office. To learn more about how the Plan will benefit your schools and your students, please visit
everychildnc.org, and join us in securing the education that our students have been promised.
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