Warren should "celebrate" a Superior Court ruling that clarifies how state education dollars are distributed, but it should not celebrate long. The ruling by Judge Luis Matos is a significant setback for Warren's partners in this regional school district. Bristol took one on the chin last week.

Bristol is already dealing with the impact of something local voters approved back in November. A new formula for determining how the towns split the cost of public education — overwhelmingly approved by voters in the general election — shifted about $1 million per year from Warren to Bristol. Now the court ruling appears to shift another $2 million.

To make things worse for Bristol, the current distribution of state dollars has been happening for years — leading Warren to pay millions more than it should have for the past five years. Yet the court did not order restitution for Warren taxpayers; instead, the judge left it up to the two towns and the school district to figure that out themselves.

Some here in Warren will demand restitution, seeking millions of dollars to make things right. Those voices should not prevail.

While it may feel good to finally "stick it" to Bristol, Warren leaders should consider the long-term ramifications. Bristol taxpayers are already spending more per-pupil to educate their students than Warren taxpayers spend per-pupil for their students — about 32 percent more. That's based on a rough estimate of local education spending after the court ruling. Bristol will be spending about $11,200 for every student from that town; Warren will be spending about $8,500 for every student from that town.

If Warren pushes too hard to get back lost millions from its public school partner, Bristol is likely to push back. That can lead to only bad outcomes, with fighting, mistrust and maybe a breakup. Can Warren really operate its own school district while spending just $11 million per year?

Celebrate the court victory and the benefits to come in future years. Don't look backward unless you're looking for a breakup.