Reviews recent state and federal rural school funding litigation. Concludes that while rural school advocates have been relatively successful in the courts, efforts to obtain adequate state funding for rural schools through the legislative process are only partially successful. (Contains 16 references.)(PKP)

Analysis of New York Supreme Court's interpretation of economics of education literature in its 2001 decision in "Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. The State of New York." Includes educational outcomes, educational inputs, and the efficient use of teacher inputs. Discusses the cost-effectiveness of court reform of education compared with political and…

Examines value-added student achievement levels of 74 school districts named as litigants in "Tennessee v. Small School Systems v. McWherter" and compares them with those of 64 nonlitigating districts. Although litigant districts have achieved greater fiscal equity, student achievement has not significantly improved. (Contains 11 footnotes.) (MLH)

The U.S. Supreme Court through its interpretation of the First Amendment Establishment Clause may ultimately determine whether state-funded voucher proposals are widely adopted. This paper overviews changes in Establishment-Clause doctrine, reviews relevant litigation, and explores potential implications of recent legal developments. (Contains 80…

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 resources…

Since the U.S. Supreme Court's 1972 landmark "Rodriguez" decision (constitutionally challenging Texas's school-finance system), courts have increasingly used student assessments as evidence of educational adequacy and focused more on educational quality than fiscal equity. Despite pitched battles, a consensus of adequacy and quality may be…

In "Durant v. State of Michigan," resulting in a $212 million settlement to 83 districts, the Michigan Supreme Court addressed state deficiencies in funding special education. This article examines implications of "Durant" for other educational programs. Michigan is still trying to shun responsibility for educating disabled students. Contains 71…

Reviews the nature of rural education and meanings of efficiency as seen in finance-litigation literature. Describes litigation in five rural states (Arkansas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, West Virginia), highlighting interpretations of the "thorough and efficient" clause within these states' constitutions. Rural schools' small size and…

"Mock v. Kansas" (1991) determined that the state legislature is obligated to fund its schools so that each child receives an equal educational opportunity. Two major sources of funding variations (the local option budget and higher weightings for rural students) represent unjustified disparities based on politics (and spending) as usual. Contains…

Discusses research that addresses court decisions emerging during the third wave of school-finance litigation as related to children with special needs. Recent state supreme court decisions in Alabama, Wyoming, and Ohio address the constitutionality of the general and special-education finance systems. All systems were judged inequitable. Contains…

Examines voter response to bond issues immediately following Michigan's elimination of its property tax school-funding system. Reviews equity measures, discusses court cases addressing school-facility equity issues, and compares other states' funding approaches. Michigan's system for financing school facilities remains inequitable, and facility…

After 25 years of federal and state voucher systems in higher education, public colleges and universities find themselves financially shortchanged. Higher education vouchers (direct student aid) were developed to expand educational opportunity, give lower income students more choices, and support private colleges. Voucher systems produce greater…

Since "Serrano v. Priest" (1971), 17 federal and state supreme court decisions have discussed rural schools' unique funding dilemmas. Recent cases illustrate the escalating battle between rural and metropolitan districts over financial resources. If rural schools' fiscal situation continues to deteriorate and state lawmakers shun adequate…

Florida's rapidly growing public school system enrolls over 2 million students. Total operating costs are over $11 billion annually. School funding declined in the early 1990s and is still 3% below the pre-recession peak. Despite an $11 billion tobacco industry settlement, the state is pushing fiscal performance incentives instead of increasing…

The democratic imperative proclaims that an inequitable, inadequate education system is unacceptable. Exploring this imperative's implications for fiscal-equity reform, this article overviews 3 decades of legal trends in federal and state fiscal equity and educational adequacy litigation, examines adequacy's liberal ideological roots, and explains…