The case still awaits a full court hearing, but, meanwhile, the boy with autism can bring his service dog to school. The district has been fighting tooth and nail to bar the dog, and had hoped for a reversal of a judge’s order to accommodate it.

This is a dramatic instance of a school and a student not being a good match. Months of legal action have not resolved the conflict, and the boy will have to go to a school that is admitting him and his service dog against its will.

If several schools competed for each student, chances are that one of them would agree to make arrangements for the service dog. Then the question of where this boy goes to school would be decided through peaceful discussions rather than by a contentious court case.