LAKE VIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 25 of Phillips County, Arkansas, et al., Appellants v. Governor Mike HUCKABEE; Senator Mike Beebe, President Pro Tempore of the Senate; Representative Shane Broadway, Speaker of the House; State Auditor Gus Wingfield; State Treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher; Director of the Arkansas Department of Education Raymond Simon; Arkansas State Board of Education Members Luke Gordy, William Fisher, Jonell Caldwell, Anita Yates, Lewis Thompson, Claiborne Deming, Richard Smith, Betty Pickett, Robert Hackler, and Shelby Hillman; and Director of the Arkansas Department of Firince and Administration Richard Barclay, Appellees; and Rogers School District No. 30 and Bentonville School District No. 6 of Benton County, and Little Rock School District of Pulaski County, Intervenors/Appellees
Supreme Court of Arkansas
Opinion delivered November 21, 2002
- APPEAL & ERROR—CHANCERY CASES—STANDARD OF REVIEW.—The supreme court reviews chancery cases de novo on the record but does not reverse a finding of fact by the chancery court unless it is clearly erroneous; a finding of fact by the chancery court is clearly erroneous when, although there is evidence to support it, the reviewing court on the entire evidence is left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed; it is the supreme court's duty to reverse if its own review of the record is in marked disagreement with the chancery court's findings.
- JURISDICTION—SUBJECT-MATTER JURISDICTION—CAN BE RAISED AT ANY TIME.—The question of subject-matter jurisdiction can be raised at any time or even by the supreme court on its own motion.
- SCHOOLS & SCHOOL DISTRICTS—SCHOOL FUNDING—ROLES OF LEGISLATIVE & JUDICIAL BRANCHES.—In school-funding matters, the supreme court is not engaged in the "search for tax equity"; it is the legislature that, by virtue of institutional competency as well as constitutional function, is assigned that responsibil-
