When the Connecticut Supreme Court heard oral arguments Thursday in the long-awaited case on the state's education funding levels, several justices appeared wary of delving into an issue that some on the bench believed should be addressed by the Legislature.

In his September 2016 decision in Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding v. Rell, Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher said the state's funding formula was “irrational and unconstitutional” because it benefited suburban schools over their urban peers. Moukawsher ordered the state to develop a new way to fund education.

Associate Attorney General Joseph Rubin, arguing before a packed courtroom Thursday, told the justices the trial court's ruling created a new legal standard, and that the state already provides a quality education for all students.