The past year witnessed cases involving the constitutionality of tax credits and tax deductions for expenses incurred by parents whose children attend nonpublic schools. The constitutionality of state school finance programs continued to be questioned, and several cases involving funds for the education of handicapped children also were decided.…

Results of a review of Wisconsin's general program for providing financial support to local school districts are presented in this paper, with a focus on developments of the 1980s. First, a brief history of the state aid program from 1949-80 is provided. The next section identifies seven disequalizing factors of the equalization aid program and…

Definitions of equal educational opportunity have evolved from access to schooling, to equal spending per pupil, to variable spending per pupil depending on individual need. Although the quest for funding equity has dominated recent legal and political actions, funding adequacy deserves great attention. A single-minded pursuit of equity may lead…

This chapter summarizes recent state supreme court and federal court decisions related to the area of school finance. The cases discussed are generally limited to those decided during 1975 and reported in the General Digest as of March 1976. In their discussion, the authors attempt to integrate related cases and to illuminate any unifying legal…

This chapter summarizes and analyzes all state supreme court and federal court decisions as well as other significant court decisions affecting the realm of school finance. The cases discussed are generally limited to those decided during 1974 and reported in the General Digest on or before March 1, 1975. In their discussion, the authors attempt…

Two constitutional issues continued to dominate litigation related to school finance during 1977. Questions concerning the spending of public funds for the benefit of students attending private schools (for example, Wolman v. Walter) continued to arise in both state and federal courts. Also, cases involving the constitutionality of state school…

The major issues surrounding the financing of schools cluster in three areas: the use of public money in private and parochial schools, the sources and allocation of public school funds, and the ability to raise school taxes. Although the number of cases dealing with religion declined, there were cases concerning the use of public money to provide…

School finance reform through court action has failed on the federal level and has had mixed success in state courts. State litigation focuses primarily on equal protection provisions and on constitutional working. The 1976 "Serrano v. Priest" decision in California has given the finance reform movement impetus from its assertion that an equal…

The research reported on here is a collection and summary of information concerning the distribution of pupils in various special educational programs, the number of pupils qualified for, but not enrolled in, special educational programs, and the distribution of pupils in the regular educational program. Per pupil costs were computed for students…

Cases related to school finance, in which decisions were handed down in 1982, are reviewed in this chapter. It is observed that the constitutionality of existing state school finance programs was upheld in New York, Colorado, and Georgia, and that litigation was prevalent in the areas of taxation for schools and uses of school revenue. Issues…

Chapter 6 of a book on school law, this chapter deals with the financial support of schools. According to the author, the constitutionality of state support programs continued to be a major issue in school finance litigation during the past year. The number of cases involving financial aspects of programs for children with special needs increased,…

Decisions made by federal and state courts during 1983 concerning school finance are reported in this chapter. Among the decisions discussed are United States Supreme Court findings in cases involving tuition tax credits, reimbursement of misapplied Title I funds by states, and tuition requirements for nonresident students. Cases concerning the…