In the 1990s, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, Inc. (CFE), filed a lawsuit against New York State on behalf of New York City students, charging that the state unconstitutionally underfunded city schools. In 2003, the Court of Appeals held that the state funding system must be reformed to ensure that every school in New York City has sufficient resources to provide students with the opportunity for a meaningful high school education. This decision built on a 1995 Court of Appeals decision that held that the New York State constitution requires that the state offer all children the opportunity for a "sound basic education." The Court of Appeals specifically rejected attempts by the state to blame the city for the proven inadequacy of the schools. In 2001, the court determined that the current state school funding system was unconstitutional. However, in 2002, an Appellate Court held that the state constitution only guarantees that schools provide the opportunity to learn at an eighth or ninth grade level and that the current funding system was adequate to meet this standard. CFE appealed, and this decision was overturned, sending the matter back to the trial court to oversee procedures to ensure that New York City students actually receive the opportunity for a sound basic education. (SM)