Melanie Dubis was quoted in The News & Observer on how the coronavirus pandemic could impact an ongoing dispute over North Carolina education funding. 

Melanie is the lead counsel for the plaintiff school districts in the long-running Leandro case, which established a constitutional right to a sound basic education for all public school students in North Carolina. Although a judge ordered state leaders this year to “work expeditiously" to meet that constitutional mandate, some lawmakers say revenue losses amid the pandemic may prevent the state from increasing its education budget. 

"There is a lot of talk about Constitutional rights these days, and folks should remember that the right to a sound basic education is a State Constitutional right of all North Carolina children," Melanie told The N&O. "The constitutional violations and the unmet needs of poor and disadvantaged children have existed for over two decades and the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbates those needs. The State of North Carolina has agreed, and Judge Lee has found, that these longstanding needs can no longer go unmet. Plaintiffs expect the State to honor its Constitutional obligations."

You can read the full article here. The News & Observer is the leading newspaper in the Raleigh area.