Lobato vs. the State of Colorado is a lawsuit that was filed in
2005 by a group of parents from around the state and school
districts from the San Luis Valley. The suit alleges Colorado's
current school-funding system fails to provide a "thorough and
uniform" system of education as outlined in the Colorado
Constitution. The trial began in Denver District Court on Aug. 1
and is expected to last five weeks. Here is the opening
statement of David Hinojosa, an attorney with the Mexican
Americal Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), which
intervened in the case on the side of the plaintiffs.  May it
please the Court. This is a case about lost opportunities. Lost
opportunities for the low-income and the ELL children who want
to achieve their full potential in school, but instead are
denied appropriate programs because of a lack of resources. Lost
opportunities for the school districts serving those students,
who are stretching their dollar as far as it can go, and in the
end are forced to rob Peter to pay Paul