California Secretary of Education Bonnie Reiss said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will oppose a lawsuit which claims the state's current school finance system is unconstitutional.
A coalition of students, school districts and education groups have sued the state in Alameda County Superior Court, claiming it doesn't provide enough money to cover its educational mandates and programs.
Reiss says Schwarzenegger expects the state will prevail in the case, but adds California will "continue to fight to keep education a budget priority."
The plaintiffs say the state has cut $17 billion from K-12 schools and community colleges over the past two years.
They hope to force the governor and Legislature to develop a new system to fund its cash-strapped public schools.
