In a 4-3 ruling, the North Carolina Supreme Court overturned the Leandro lawsuit, blocking courts from requiring the General Assembly to spend state dollars on education. The court first ruled more than 30 years ago that students were constitutionally entitled to a sound, basic education and upheld that authority as recently as 2022.
For those who brought the original case, the decision felt deeply personal.
"It felt like another slap in the face," said Jackie McLean, one of the original Leandro plaintiffs.
McLean joined the case in the late 1990s after raising concerns about limited resources in her local schools. She said learning the decision was overturned reopened old wounds.
"I felt like a parent whose child was sick and hurting. You don't have the resources. You don't have the capacity to give them what they need to make them feel better," McLean said.
McLean said her daughter graduated from Hoke County Schools more than a decade ago and said she joined the lawsuit after she saw classrooms that lacked basic materials for students.
"They had a classroom with sinks and things, but they didn't have the materials and the things that they needed for the kids to do hands-on experiences," McLean said.
Education advocates said the ruling may end the Leandro plan but not the push for equitable school funding statewide.
"Both parties agreed that there is a problem that needs to be solved, and this is our course of action to remedy this long-standing violation of our children's rights," said Rebecca Trammel, founder of the #IAmLeandro campaign.
Trammel said the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan was never fully funded and said that shortcoming remains central to the conversation moving forward.
"The Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan could have been fully funded. It wasn't," Trammel said.
With courts no longer able to order education spending, advocates said attention now turns to public engagement and lawmakers.
"This is not going anywhere. It's up to the people, and I hope that the people will rise to the occasion," Trammel said.
McLean said families plan to continue pressing their representatives directly.
"What we need to do from this point on is to continue to advocate, continue to meet with our legislators, and not let up," she said.
Republican leaders in North Carolina praised the decision Friday, saying it affirms their belief that the General Assembly alone has the authority to appropriate state funds.
Education advocates said they will continue organizing in response to the ruling. The #IAmLeandro campaign plans to host a virtual event on April 7 to discuss ongoing efforts related to school funding.