Coalition founders knew that litigation against the State would cause tension. But merely filing the suit didn't precipitate much tension. The bulk of the tension was created when the Court ruled in favor of the Coalition Plaintiff. In spite of the awesome power of the State and unlimited State legal counsel being leveled against the Coalition, membership and the resolve to complete the mission of securing a thorough and efficient system have increased with each passing year. Paid membership has increased each fiscal year.
Defendants continue to consider local communities as the primary source of school funding.
This is their definition of local control. They used all the power of state government to delay and attempt to derail the DeRolph case. For example, after the Trial Court declared education a fundamental right and the funding system unconstitutional in July 1994, the Governor said that decision must be overturned to protect the State from bankruptcy. Of course the press was eager to report such tripe. They leveled criticism against the Court decision and even singled out individual members of the court for harsh criticism.