Metro Community College in Omaha unnecessarily has escalated the feud between it and the rest of the state's community colleges by authorizing a lawsuit.

That's nothing but a money-sucking waste.

Metro and the other five community colleges, including Southeast Community College headquartered in Lincoln, have been at odds for years over funding.

The rift grew so serious this year that the Nebraska Community College Association voted to expel Metro after Metro refused to pay its dues to the organization.

At issue is the formula by which state aid is divided among the community colleges.

A new formula approved by the Legislature, which was opposed bitterly by Metro, went into full effect this year. Metro lost about $4.7 million in funding and was forced to increase its property tax rate by 26 percent.

In recent months the community colleges have been playing games with numbers, trying to lowball the amount of reported tuition revenue in order to get more state aid.

When Metro reported the money raised by tuition and fees to state officials, it subtracted about $13.5 million that it moved to a capital account.

The other community colleges protested. Dennis Baack, director of the Nebraska Community College, said Metro ignored the clear intent of state law. Metro, however, said that it was following audit guidelines approved by all the colleges.

In response to Metro's maneuver, the other community colleges altered the amount they reported for tuition and fees, saying they did so with the goal that state aid would be divided the same way if none of the schools had altered their figures.

These machinations do not serve the public good.

If Metro has a problem with the formula, the proper place to argue the case is at the Legislature, which wrote the formula in the first place.

Sen. Greg Adams of York, chairman of the Education Committee, said the aim of the latest changes in the formula were to shift aid to colleges that lack the property tax base that Metro has.

Turning this feud into a legal battle means the money that could be going for education ends up going into attorney pockets, and tying up the legal system. And regardless of what legal ruling might be handed down, the ultimate decision will remain with the Legislature.

The Legislature already is taking a hard look at the colleges and has asked the Postsecondary Coordination Commission to recommend whether changes are needed in their role and mission.

Sadly, this nasty clash occurs at a time when community colleges are experiencing a surge in enrollment due primarily to economic conditions. The number of students at SCC, for example, jumped 10 percent this fall.

Clearly, community colleges are an important part of higher education in Nebraska. They should be trying to work together, not wasting money and energy on lawsuits.

State senators need to step in and end the battle before it does more damage.