Columbia Falls Elementary School District No. 6 v. State

¶1 The State appeals from the District Court’s order determining that the State of Montana’s public school system violates Article X, Section 1(3), of the Montana Constitution. This Court issued an order on November 9, 2004, affirming the District Court. This opinion supersedes that order.

¶2 We restate the issues as follows:

¶3 1. Whether a challenge to the adequacy of the State’s funding of a basic system of free quality public elementary and secondary schools presents a non-justiciable political question.

¶4 2. Whether the District Court erroneously concluded that the current school funding…