Statement of Governor Perdue regarding School Consortium Withdrawing Lawsuit

ATLANTA– Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding the decision of the Consortium for Adequate School Funding to withdraw their lawsuit against the state. 

“The plaintiffs' decision to withdraw this case is a victory for Georgia citizens who have been paying both sides of this lawsuit. Georgia taxpayers have paid well over $2 million in both bringing and defending this suit.  When the Consortium filed the lawsuit, they ignored the fact that we are spending more on education than ever before in the state’s history. State spending on K-12 education makes up nearly half of the state’s budget. Through targeted and innovative approaches, we have raised the graduation rate from 63 percent in 2003 to over 74 percent.  And millions of dollars later, the Consortium failed to demonstrate the central premise of its flawed argument: that increased funds always increase student achievement.

I am particularly troubled by the Consortium's blatant and unfounded disrespect for the judiciary in general and Judge Craig Schwall in particular.   Before Judge Schwall could even make a ruling, the Consortium baselessly accused him of not being impartial, retreated and expressed plans to file again in a transparent attempt at forum shopping that undermines the most basic principles of this country’s legal system and the rule of law.  It is my hope that school districts will permanently end this litigious and wholly unproductive burden on Georgia's taxpayers.

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