One-Year "Relaxation" of Remedies in New Jersey

In June 2002, in response to a motion from the Attorney General with the consent of plaintiffs' counsel, the New Jersey Supreme Court agreed to a "relaxation of the remedies for K-12 programs for the 2002-2003 school year provided for in Abbott v. Burke (IV) and in Abbott v. Burke (V)." The court acknowledged the State budget crisis and the new Abbott Implementation and Compliance Coordinating Council (AICCC).

More importantly, the court accepted representations from the Department of Education that it will maintain funding for critical programs in the Abbott districts, which are the State's 30 high-need school districts. Those programs include parity funding (with the average funding for the State's 110 successful school districts), kindergarten and pre-school programs, and a multi-billion-dollar facilities improvement program.

Prepared June 22, 2002