Colorado Loses Latest Round In School Funding Lawsuit

DENVER (AP) -- A Denver judge has ruled in favor of school districts and parents who sued Colorado contending that the state's education funding methods are unconstitutional.

State officials warned that losing the lawsuit could have disastrous effects on Colorado's finances because the Legislature could be forced to allocate the majority of the budget to education to meet the plaintiffs' demands. But the ruling Friday is likely not the end of the 2005 lawsuit. Both sides have said they expect it to be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

The plaintiffs argued that the state's method of funding education is random and leaves poor students at a disadvantage.

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