TRENTON — Education advocates and state lawyers faced off before the New Jersey Supreme Court today, arguing whether Gov. Chris Christie’s cuts to education spending were unconstitutional.

The Education Law Center said the loss of about $1 billion in aid to schools violates the state’s constitutional obligations. It wants the court to force the state to fully fund the school funding formula in the upcoming budget year.

The state countered by saying cuts to education spending were unavoidable because of the economic recession. It also said there’s no constitutional inequity in school funding, leaving the court no role in saying how the state should spend taxpayer money.

It’s unclear when the Supreme Court will issue a decision on the matter. Some justices floated the idea of appointing a special master to review the impact of funding cuts before the court makes a decision, a move that would significantly lengthen the case.