The lawsuit, brought by the city of Dover and its school district, means an extra $1.4 million for Dover, and a potential boost for nearly 40 other communities with caps on the amount of "adequacy funding" they receive.
Dover City Manager Michael Joyal Jr. said the city and the school department are still reviewing the ruling by Sullivan County Superior Court Justice Brian T. Tucker. He expects additional conversations with state leaders on a cooperative agreement for payment of the estimated shortfall.
Dover went to court last year, arguing that the cap on education funding for towns and cities deprived it of money the state has an obligation to deliver under the New Hampshire Constitution.
Tucker, in a 14-page ruling dated Sept. 2, concluded that the percentage cap is unconstitutional "when it operates to reduce the full amount of the statutory grant."
