HARRISBURG, PA. (WENY) - Today, the public education lawsuit against the Commonwealth began with opening arguments. 

The petitioners in the case include six Pennsylvania school districts: William Penn; Panther Valley; School District of Lancaster; Greater Johnstown; Wilkes-Barre Area; and Shenandoah Valley, along with four parents and two statewide organizations. 

The respondents include: the Pennsylvania Department of Education; Jake Corman, President Pro-Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate; Bryan Cutler, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; Tom W. Wolf, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; the Pennsylvania State Board of Education; and Noe Ortega, the Secretary of Education. 

Petitioners are being represented by the Education Law Center PA, the Public Interest Law Center, and the law firm, O’Melveny. 

The "Fair Funding Case” was filed to address long-term solutions in response to decades of what petitioner's call “inadequate, inequitable school funding in Pennsylvania.” 

Petitioners argue that the state Constitution makes the General Assembly responsible for ensuring a thorough and efficient system of public education.  

Fund Our Schools PA says “the General Assembly, along with the Governor, the Secretary of Education, and State Board of Education, must enable all students to receive a quality education – regardless of their community’s level of local wealth.” 

Pennsylvania ranks 45th out of 50 states in state share of revenue for school districts. Advocates say 86-percent of public-school districts in Pennsylvania are not adequately funded. The Commonwealth also has one of the widest funding gaps between low-wealth and high-wealth districts in the country. 

The state Constitution makes the General Assembly responsible for ensuring a thorough and efficient system of public education. School districts and parents claim that the state is failing to meet this legal obligation. 

Advocates say, in most states, about 47-percent of public education funding comes from the state, and the rest from local and federal revenue or funds. In Pennsylvania, the state only covers 38-percent of public education funding. 

In October, school funding advocates along with the Education Law Center and Public Interest Law Center held a rally to remind the General Assembly and the people of Pennsylvania of today’s trial. 

Today, Children First PA held a similar rally to kick off the historic Fair Funding Trial. 

“Our justices need to know the whole world is watching,” said Donna Cooper, Executive Director of Childrens First PA. “This court case is the peoples’ trial, it's the future of this commonwealth,” added Cooper when addressing the crowd. 

“We’re so excited that so many people are here today in support of the lawsuit,” said Deborah Gordon Klehr, Executive Director of the Education Law Center. "There are people from all over Pennsylvania who know that the legislature needs to do better, who know that we need to adequately and equitably funds our schools," Klehr added. 

The large crowd of advocates and supporters held the rally on the stairs of the Capitol before marching to the Commonwealth Court, chanting the entire two-block walk.  

The lawsuit is expected to last for several weeks, and well into 2022.