Scott Huffman Condemns NC Supreme Court Decision in Leandro Case Calls Ruling a Betrayal of North Carolina’s Children and Public Schools

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Scott Huffman Condemns NC Supreme Court Decision in Leandro Case
Calls Ruling a Betrayal of North Carolina’s Children and Public Schools

Salisbury, NC.  Scott Huffman, Democratic candidate for North Carolina House District 76, issued the following statement after the North Carolina Supreme Court’s April 2, 2026 decision ending the long-running Leandro school funding litigation. The court ruled 4 to 3 and voided the 2022 ruling that had ordered the transfer of funds toward the state’s court approved school improvement plan, leaving funding authority with the General Assembly.

“I want to put North Carolina's children first, and the GOP once again has proven that our kids aren't their priority."

“The North Carolina Constitution promises every child the right to a sound basic education. This ruling is an outrage because it gives the Republican controlled General Assembly even more cover to keep doing what it has done for the last 17 years: underfund public schools and fail our children.

I am a product of a good public education. I know firsthand what strong public schools can mean for a child, a family, and a community. I also remember when Governor Jim Hunt was leading our state and public education was a real priority. North Carolina understood then that if you want a better future, you invest in your children. Education was treated as the foundation of progress, not an afterthought. Governor Hunt’s legacy is closely tied to early childhood education, teacher quality, and public-school improvement.

I am outraged because this decision rewards nearly two decades of neglect by the Republican controlled General Assembly. I am outraged as a parent, and I am outraged for the families in my community who want nothing more than a decent school, a fair opportunity, and a real future for their children. For 17 years, Republican control has meant public education is underfunded. teachers are overworked, underpaid, classrooms are overcrowded and communities are left behind. This decision does not erase that failure. It protects it. North Carolina still does not have a new state budget. We were the only state that has not passed one, and our teacher pay remains near the bottom in the nation. Republicans are not governing. They are starving public education on purpose and this court protected Republicans from accountability.

But for years, Republicans have taken this state in the opposite direction. Instead of fully funding the schools that serve the overwhelming majority of our children, they keep pushing taxpayer money into private school voucher schemes that weaken public education and leave too many families behind.

I cannot understand why Republicans are so determined to destroy public education in North Carolina. Our state cannot move forward by looking backward. We cannot build a strong economy, strong communities, or a sustainable future by refusing to provide our children the education they need and deserve.

Today’s students are tomorrow’s workers, leaders, parents, and citizens. If we fail them now, we fail the future of this state.

I am running because I believe in fully funding public schools, supporting teachers, and making sure every child in North Carolina has the opportunity to succeed. Our children deserve better than this decision, and they deserve leaders who will fight for them.”