By Nancy West, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD — The state Supreme Court upheld portions of Superior Court Judge David Ruoff’s 2019 ruling in a lawsuit four school districts filed against the state, and reversed others, ultimately sending the case back to the lower court for further proceedings.
kAm%96 F?2?:>@FD CF=:?8 HC:EE6? 3J $FAC6>6 r@FCE yFDE:46 !2EC:4< s@?@G2? 277:C>65 #F@77’D 564:D:@? 56?J:?8 E96 DE2E6’D >@E:@? E@ 5:D>:DD E96 =2HDF:E[ 2?5 C6G6CD65 E96 A@CE:@?D 8C2?E:?8 E96 D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED’ >@E:@? 7@C DF>>2CJ ;F586>6?E 2?5 8C2?E:?8 @7 2EE@C?6JD’ 766D]k^Am
kAm“pE E96 @FED6E[ H6 ?@E6 E92E E96 :DDF6 367@C6 FD :D 2 ?2CC@H @?6 — H96E96C E96 EC:2= 4@FCE 6CC65 :? C6D@=G:?8 E96 >6C:ED @7 E96 A=2:?E:77D’ WD49@@= 5:DEC:4EDX 4=2:>D @? DF>>2CJ ;F58>6?E H:E9@FE D:8?:7:42?E 5:D4@G6CJ[” s@?@G2? HC@E6]k^Am
kAm%96 7@FC D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED ?2>65 :? E96 =2HDF:E 2C6 r@?'2=[ |@?25?@4<[ |2D46?:4 2?5 (:?496DE6C] |@C6 E92? EH@ 5@K6? D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED 7C@> 2== @G6C E96 DE2E6 D:8?65 2 3C:67 :? DFAA@CE @7 r@?'2=]k^Am
kAm%96 7@FC A=2:?E:77 5:DEC:4ED :DDF65 2 ;@:?E DE2E6>6?E 27E6C E96 CF=:?8 D2J:?8 E96J 2C6 “962CE6?65” 3J :E]k^Am
kAm“%96 r@FCE’D 564:D:@? E@ C6>2?5 E96 42D6 E@ $FA6C:@C r@FCE yF586 s2G:5 #F@77 7@C C6G:6H 2==@HD E96 s:DEC:4E 2?5 :ED 4@\A=2:?E:77D E@ AC6D6?E 724EF2= 6G:56?46 E92E E96 $E2E6 @7 }6H w2>AD9:C6 :D ?@E AC@G:5:?8 256BF2E6 65F42E:@? 7F?5:?8[” E96 DE2E6>6?E D2:5]k^Am
kAmxE >6?E:@?65 E96 4@FCE’D =2?5>2C< r=2C6>@?E 564:D:@? 2?5 H6?E @?i “%96 r@FCE CF=65 E92E E96 DE2E6 :D @3=:82E65 E@ A2J 7@C 2? 256BF2E6 65F42E:@? 7@C 2== 49:=5C6?] }62C=J b_ J62CD =2E6C[ E92E DE:== 92D ?@E 92AA6?65]”k^Am
kAm%96 5:DEC:4ED D2:5i “p56BF2E6 7F?5:?8[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6[ 5@6D ?@E :?4=F56 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 4@DED[ 7F?5:?8 7@C D49@@= ?FCD6D @C 7@@5 D6CG:46D[ 2?5 @?=J 2 7C24E:@? @7 724:=:E:6D @A6C2E:@?D 2?5 >2:?E6?2?46 4@DED — 2== @7 H9:49 4@>3:?6 E@ 6?DFC6 2 BF2=:EJ 65F42E:@? 7@C @FC DEF56?ED] %96 DE2E6 56E6C>:?65 E92E :? a_`h :E 4@DE Sb[ebe A6C DEF56?E E@ AC@G:56 2? 256BF2E6 65F42E:@?] qJ E96 DE2E6’D @H? 7@C>F=2[ @FC 5:DEC:4ED 2== D9@F=5 92G6 C646:G65 >@C6 E92? Sh[h__ A6C DEF56?E]k^Am
kAm“t5F42E:@? 4@DED S`g[___ A6C DEF56?E @? 2G6C286] }@ @?6 4@F=5 C62D@?23=J 2C8F6 E92E Sb[ebe A6C DEF56?E H:== AC@G:56 2? 256BF2E6 65F42E:@?[” E96 5:DEC:4ED D2:5[ 42==:?8 E96 CF=:?8 2 “A@D:E:G6 @FE4@>6” 7@C DEF56?ED[ 255:?8 “:E :D @?=J @?6 D>2== DE6A E@H2C5 D@=G:?8 2? FC86?E :DDF6 7@C DEF56?ED E9C@F89@FE E96 DE2E6] %9:D :DDF6 92D ?@H :>A24E65 EH@ 86?6C2E:@?D @7 }6H w2>AD9:C6 49:=5C6? 2?5 H:== 4@?E:?F6 2D =@?8 2D E96 DE2E6 72:=D E@ >66E :ED @3=:82E:@?D F?56C @FC DE2E6 r@?DE:EFE:@?]”k^Am
kAmv@G] r9C:D $F?F?F D2:5 27E6C E96 CF=:?8 H2D >256 AF3=:4i “%@52J’D CF=:?8 C6277:C>D E92E E9:D :D 2? :DDF6 E92E 36=@?8D :? E96 {68:D=2EFC6 2?5 ?@E :? =682= =:>3@] pD E96 >@DE C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 3@5J :? p>6C:42[ E96 }]w {68:D=2EFC6 >FDE 92G6 E96 2FE9@C:EJ E@ >2<6 65F42E:@? 7F?5:?8 564:D:@?D]”k^Am
kAm%96 5676?52?ED :? E96 42D6 :?4=F565 E96 DE2E6[ E96 DE2E6 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t5F42E:@?[ $F?F?F[ 2?5 t5F42E:@? r@>>:DD:@?6C uC2?< t56=3=FE] %96 CF=:?8 277:C>65 #F@77’D 564:D:@? E@ 5:D>:DD E96 DF:E 282:?DE $F?F?F 2?5 t56=3=FE :? E96:C :?5:G:5F2= 42A24:E:6D]k^Am
kAm$E2E6 $6?] y2J z29?[ s\z66?6 C6=62D65 2 DE2E6>6?E D2J:?8i “qJ C6>2?5:?8 E96 42D6 E@ E96 $FA6C:@C r@FCE[ E9:D CF=:?8 AC@G:56D A=2:?E:77D WD49@@= 5:DEC:4EDX E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 2C8F6 E96 92C> :? E96 DE2E6’D 4FCC6?E 256BF2E6 65F42E:@? 7F?5:?8 7@C>F=2]”k^Am
kAm“qJ 72:=:?8 E@ 5:DEC:3FE6 DE2E6 7F?5:?8 32D65 @? 2 5:DEC:4E’D DEF56?E ?665D 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 492C24E6C:DE:4D[ E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C 2? 256BF2E6 65F42E:@? :D >256 >@C6 F?6BF2= 24C@DD E96 DE2E6] %9:D 5632E6 92D 366? @?8@:?8 :? E96 4@FCED 2?5 E96 =68:D=2EFC6 7@C 564256D] xE :D =@?8 A2DE E:>6 7@C }6H w2>AD9:C6 E@ 25@AE 2 DE2E6 2==@42E:@? >@56= E92E 4@>A6?D2E6D D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED 7@C 5:776C6?46D :? DEF56?E ?665 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 492C24E6C:DE:4D[” z29? D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 7F== CF=:?8 42? 36 C625 96C6i k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^:?56AE9?9]@C8^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_a`^_b^a_a`_`ar@?'2=\a]A57Qm:?56AE9?9]@C8^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_a`^_b^a_a`_`ar@?'2=\a]A57k^2mk^Am
kAm%96 7@==@H:?8 D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED 7:=65 2 3C:67 DFAA@CE:?8 r@?'2=i q6C=:? $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ s6CCJ $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ w@A<:?E@? $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ |2D4@>2 '2==6J #68:@?2= $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ !:EED7:6=5 $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ }6HA@CE $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ |6CC:>24< '2==6J #68:@?2= $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ w2G6C9:== $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ (:??:DBF2> #68:@?2= $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ (9:E6 |@F?E2:?D #68:@?2= $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ r=2C6>@?E $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ r@?4@C5 $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ (2CC6? $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ !:6C>@?E $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ q2E9 $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ |2?496DE6C $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ v@G6C?@C (6?EH@CE9 #68:@?2= $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ z66?6 $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ r96DE6C7:6=5 $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ w2CC:DG:==6 $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ |2C=3@C@F89 $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ |2C=@H $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ }6=D@? $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ (6DE>@C6=2?5 $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ }2D9F2 $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ u2== |@F?E2:? #68:@?2= $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ 2?5 E96 }6H w2>AD9:C6 $49@@= q@2C5D pDD@4:2E:@?]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.