Local governments take state to Constitutional Tribunal over Education money

Seven local government authorities have taken the central government to the Constitutional Tribunal in an effort to recover zl. 1.5 billion they should have received from the central budget to finance education. The Tribunal is to rule on the constitutionality of the central government's handling of the situation as soon as all the local government authorities have filed their motions. The money should have been paid early for mandatory salary increases for teachers but that did not happen due an error by the former Education Minister Miroslaw Handke leading to a shortfall of zl. 800 million in his budget. Handke was forced to resign and his successor Edmund Wittbrodt told teachers he did not have extra money at his disposal. Meanwhile a joint commission of the Ministry and local government officials is trying to figure out the exact amount needed for the raises. (Zycie, page 4) S.M.