University of Colorado to back state's appeal in Lobato education case

The University of Colorado Board of Regents voted 6-2 in a special meeting Friday to file a brief to the Colorado Supreme Court in support of the governor's office and the state's Attorney General's office appeal of Lobato vs. Colorado.

In that case, a Denver district judge ruled in December that the method of funding for K-12 education established in the case was "irrational and inadequate" and didn't meet the Colorado Constitution's requirement of a "thorough and uniform" public state education system.

Gov. John Hickenlooper and Attorney General John Suthers asked CU to file the friend-of-the-court brief in support of the appeal, while plaintiffs in the case, a group of school districts from across the state, asked CU not to file the brief. Friday's vote (with Regent Chairman Michael Carrigan abstaining) confirmed that it would be filed.

CU's interest in the case will address how the ruling could impact funding for education at every level across the state, including higher education. State funding for CU in the current fiscal year totals $141 million, down from $209 million three years ago.

According to university president Bruce Benson, those numbers will likely decrease dramatically in the near future.

"If Lobato stays, we're going to hurry on the 'Race to the Bottom' faster ? like immediately," Benson said, referring to a University of Denver study that says state funding for education will disappear sometime in the next 10 years.

"There won't be money for higher education, no money to run the governor's office, or the legislature or anything else," Benson said. "I just think we have to stop and think about the implications of this thing. We're going to be in a world of hurt."

But Kathy Gebhardt, attorney for the plaintiffs in the case, told the Boulder Daily Camera there's no credence to that position.

"It's never been our intent to take money from higher education," she said.

Briefs for the case are due Wednesday. The Supreme Court is expected to take up the case in the fall.

Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292, acotton@denverpost.com or twitter.com/anthonycottondp

Source: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21072224/university-colorado-back-states-appeal-lobato-education-case?source=rss

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