An alliance of Illinois school districts had their constitutional challenge to the state’s school-funding model properly dismissed, an appellate panel ruled last week.Citing principles of sovereign immunity and stare decisis, a divided 5th District Appellate Court upheld the dismissal of a suit brought by the districts. Those districts contended state funding inequities violate equal protection and “high-quality education” promises in the Illinois Constitution.Justice James R. Moore Jr. authored the 10 …