Felix report delivered
to special master

The findings detail the state's ability
to meet required benchmarks

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By Crystal Kua
ckua@starbulletin.com

A report detailing the findings of a court-appointed monitor overseeing the state's effort to comply with the Felix consent decree has been submitted for a review by the federal court's special master in the case.

The report written by court monitor Ivor Groves looks at the state's progress -- mainly through the departments of Education and Health -- up to March 31, the deadline for when the state was to be in compliance with benchmarks laid out in the decree.

The Felix consent decree is the federal mandate for improved educational and mental health services in the public schools.

Special master Jeff Portnoy said he requested that the report, which discusses "the monitor's analysis of where we are," be submitted to him by yesterday.

Portnoy said he had not yet seen the report as of yesterday afternoon but plans to review it and determine whether it will be filed in court, in essence making it a public document.

"I haven't made that decision yet."

Portnoy said there have been reports from the monitor that have been sent to him directly in the past.

If they choose to respond to the report, the attorneys for the state and the plaintiffs will have until the end of the month to do so.

A hearing is scheduled for June 10 before U.S. District Judge David Ezra, who will determine whether the state has met requirements under the consent decree.