NC Supreme Court’s overturning of the historic Leandro IV decision will cause irreparable harm to students’ educational opportunities

RALEIGH (April 2, 2026) – The North Carolina Justice Center forcefully condemns the North Carolina Supreme Court’s decision today to overturn its own landmark decision in Leandro IV from November 2022. Today’s decision denies students their constitutional right to a sound, basic education and will worsen educational outcomes.

There have been no legal developments to justify overturning this decision. Meanwhile, students’ needs have only grown due to teacher shortages, impacts of the pandemic, and ongoing budget austerity. The court’s decision to overturn Leandro IV is not only procedurally inappropriate, but it also irreparably harms the integrity and standing of our state’s judicial system, public schools, and early childhood education systems.

“Today’s decision to overturn Leandro IV is part of a state-level pattern of obstructing educational rights and denying schools the resources needed to uphold the constitutional right to sound basic educational opportunities for our state’s children,” said Dana Mangum, Interim Executive Director of the North Carolina Justice Center.

This dismantling of students’ educational rights has been accelerated by the state’s inadequate investments in public education and the diversion of billions of dollars in scarce educational resources to private school vouchers that overwhelmingly benefit wealthy families whose children already attend private schools.

While the state legislature—and now the North Carolina Supreme Court—continue to refuse to provide the constitutionally required resources to our schools and students, it remains clear that the educational investments and policies outlined in the 2020 Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan are desperately needed.

“Following decades of underinvestment, the impact of the pandemic and natural disasters on education, and growing mental health needs, school districts across NC are experiencing extraordinary challenges,” said Matt Ellinwood, Education and Law Project Director at the North Carolina Justice Center. “Our schools and early childhood programs are grappling with teacher and staffing shortages while facing threats of funding cuts. With an education system that is truly in jeopardy, our children cannot wait any longer for access to basic educational resources.”

Nothing in this ruling changes the fact that our students have a constitutional right to a sound, basic education. The Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan is the only policy that upholds our children’s fundamental right to adequately funded public schools and ensures they have the educational opportunities they deserve. In the wake of this harmful court ruling, the NC Justice Center urges our state legislature to change course and work to fulfill its constitutional mandate to provide the necessary resources to implement the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan.

###

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Matt Ellinwood, Education and Law Project Director at the North Carolina Justice Center, matt@ncjustice.org