Many recent critical reforms in state school finance systems have been catalyzed by the courthouse, not the statehouse. Advocates for equity-focused school finance reforms often consider legal action as the best path to significant policy changes. This brief discusses state-level lawsuits on adequacy and equity grounds and their outcomes.

The purpose of this analysis is to provide systematic and up-to-date data on the frequency of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2012) court decisions on a state-by-state basis, not only overall, but in relation to special education enrollments. This empirical analysis revealed notable differences among state rankings in the…

Beginning in the early 1970s, plaintiffs initiated a veritable tidal wave of litigation over financing public education in states with unequal funding for students in poor school systems. In the only case on school finance to reach the United States Supreme Court, "San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez" (1973), the…

Since the late 1980s, state court judges in over twenty states, deriving their authority from the education clauses of their respective state constitutions, have struck down school finance systems as not "adequate." Pointing to evidence of unacceptable student achievement outcomes, especially among poor and disadvantaged students,…

Describes history of state school-finance litigation and legislative efforts related to the construction and renovation of school facilities in New Jersey. Provides a detailed description of the Educational Facilities Construction and Finance Act. Discusses current status and challenges in implementing the act, concluding with an analysis of…

Analyzes New Jersey case involving the jailing of striking teachers who refused to comply with a judge's return-to-work order. (PKP)

In 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court directed schools in 30 poor urban districts to adopt a comprehensive school reform program by the 2000-2001 academic year. Part of this program involved delegating resource-allocation decisions to the school level, thereby increasing schools' effectiveness and productivity by bringing the perspectives of…

Examines the New Jersey Supreme Court's involvement in and subsequent withdrawal from the issue of exclusionary zoning. Holds that despite arguments to the contrary, the courts are necessarily a political institution and should take an activist role in social issues that concern people's needs. (Author/GC)

The New Jersey legislature revised the school funding formula by eliminating $250 million in state aid over 4 years to 150 suburban districts and sending nearly $1 billion more to 30 less affluent districts. Contends that the method will ensure mediocrity and stifle innovation. Proposes three other funding formulas. (MLF)

Analyzes impact of court-mandated school-finance reform in New Jersey. Finds, for example, that while the state's poorest urban districts have benefited from the reform efforts, systematic inequities inherent in the state's system of school funding have not been addressed. (Contains 21 references.) (PKP)

The New Jersey Supreme Court has significantly redefined the state's constitutional obligation to poor, urban children--providing a "thorough and efficient" education geared to a post-industrial economy. Measures have shifted from expenditures to provision of resources to meet state curriculum standards. The problem: ensuring adequate…

New Jersey Supreme Court, in "Abbott v. Burke (Abbott II)," held that state's Public School Education Act of 1975 was unconstitutional. Notes that initial impact of "Abbott II" is to put pressure on legislators to correct funding system; challenge will require educators to overhaul their patterns of behavior in administration,…

The supreme courts of Montana, New Jersey, and Texas have overturned their respective educational finance systems. Provides analyses of the three cases and a discussion of the implications for other states. (MLF)

State litigation involving unconstitutional school financing systems are described in this document, which focuses on efforts in Texas to reform the financing of public education. Since its school finance system was declared unconstitutional in 1987, two subsequent proposals have been struck down by the Texas Supreme Court for the following…

Gaps in early learning are starkly apparent among differing children even before they enter kindergarten. So, a rising number of states are trying to narrow initial achievement disparities by expanding access to quality preschool. At the same time, recent findings show that preschool is not a lasting inoculation: its benefits fade if children move…