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Litigation

School finance litigation, by year, case, and status, by state: 1970-2009

The table below is a listing of many school finance cases with citations.  The majority of the cases involve legal challenges to state education finance systems.  If the court has provided a link to the case or a PDF file, icons have been provided to reach the cases. If the link or PDF is not available the case can be located with the citations.

Suggestions to augment the school finance case list can be forwarded to Stephen Cornman.

Table 3.3 School finance litigation, by year, case, and status, by state: 1970-2009

State
Case
Documents
Alabama
Siegelman v. Alabama Association of School Boards, 819 So. 2d 568 (2001) Citation only
Alaska
Kasayulie v.State, 110 P.3d 947 (2005) Citation only
  Moore v. State Case no. 3AN-04-9756 Civil, Superior Court for the State of Alaska, Third Judicial District at Anchorage (2007) (10.3 MB)
Arizona
Crane Elementary School District v. State of Arizona, 205 Ariz. 584, 74 P.3d 258 (2003) (477 KB)
  Roosevelt Elementary School Dist. No. 66 v. Bishop, 179 Ariz. 233, 877 P.2d 806 (1994) Citation only
  Espinoza v. Arizona CV2006 005616, Superior Court of the State of Arizona (2006) (293 KB)
Arkansas
DuPree v. Alma School District, 279 Ark. 340, 651 S.W.2d 90 (1983) Citation only
  Lake View School District v. Huckabee, 370 Ark. 139, 257 S.W.3d 879 (2007) x 2 [Amicus Curiae Brief of Arkansas Policy Foundation (35 KB)& Court opinion (392 KB)]
California
Serrano v. Priest, 5 Cal. 3d 584, 487 P.2d 1241 (1971) Link
  Serrano v. Priest (Serrano II ), 20 Cal. 3d 25, 569 P.2d 1303, 141 Cal. Rptr. 315 (1977) Citation only
Colorado
Lujan v. Colorado State Board of Education, 649 P.2d 1005 (1982) Citation only
  Lobato v. State, 2008 Colo. App. (Colo. Ct. App., Jan. 24, 2008 No. 06CA0733) (115 KB) (of orginial 2006 Lower Court ruling)
    Link (2008 Court of Appeals Ruling)
Connecticut
Horton v. Meskill, 172 Conn. 615, 376 A.2d 359 (1977) Citation only
  Sheff v. O'Neill, 238 Conn. 1, 678 A.2d 1267 (1996) Link
Delaware
No cases  
Florida
Coalition for Adequacy And Fairness in School Funding v. Chiles, 680 So. 2d 400 (1996) Citation only
  School Board of Miami-Dade County v. King, 940 So. 2d 593 (2006) (54 KB)
Georgia
McDaniel v. Thomas, 248 Ga. 632, 285 S.E.2d 156 (1981) Citation only
Hawaii
No cases  
Idaho
Idaho Schools for Equal Educational Opportunity v. State, 142 idaho 450 129 P.3d 1199 (2005) (70 KB)
Illinois
Committee for Educational Rights v. Edgar, 174 Ill. 2d 1, 672 N.E.2d 1178 (1996), Link
  Lewis E. v. Spagnolo, 186 Ill. 2d 198, 710 N.E.2d 798 (1999) Link
Indiana
Bonner v. Daniels, Indiana Supreme Court No. 49A02-0702-CV-00188, 2009 (50 KB)
Kansas
Unified School District No. 229 v. State, 256 Kan. 232, 885 P.2d 1170 (1994) Citation only
  Montoy v. Kansas, 275 Kan. 145, 62 P.3d 228 (2003) (165 KB)
  Caldwell v. State, Case No. 50616, Johnson County District Court (1972) Citation only
Kentucky
Rose v. The Council for Better Education, 790 S.W.2d 186 (1989) (268 KB)
  Young v. Williams, Circuit Court, division II, Feb. 13, 2007 Citation only
Louisiana
Charlet v. Legislature of the State of Louisiana, 713 So.2d 1199 (1998) Citation only
Maine
School Administrative District No. 1 v. Commissioner, 659 A.2d 854 (1994) Citation only
Maryland
Bradford v. Maryland State Board of Education, 387 Md. 353, 875 A.2d 703 (2005) (60KB)
  Hornbeck v. Somerset County Board of Education, 295 Md. 597, 458 A.2d 758 (1983) Citation only
Massachusetts
McDuffy v. Secretary, 415 Mass. 545, 615 N.E.2d 516 (1993) Link
  Hancock v. Driscoll, 443 Mass. 428, 822 N.E.2d 1134 (2005) (153 KB)
Michigan
Durant v. State, 456 Mich. 175, 566 N.W.2d 272 (1997) Citation only
  Milliken v. Green, 390 Mich. 389, 212 N.W. 2d 711 (1973) Citation only
Minnesota
Skeen v. State, 505 N.W. 2d 299 (1993) Citation only
Mississippi
No cases  
Missouri
Committee for Educational Equality v. State of Missouri Case No. 04CV 323022, Circuit Court of Cole County, Missouri (2007) (121 KB)
Montana
Helena Elementary School District No. 1 v. State, 236 Mont. 44, 769 P.2d 684 (1989) (771 KB)
  Columbia Falls Elementary School District No. 6 v. Montana, 2005 MT 69, 326 Mont. 304, 109 P.3d 257 (2005) (54 KB)
New Hampshire
Claremont School District v. Governor, 138 N.H. 183, 635 A.2d 1375 (1993) Citation only
  Claremont v. Governor (Claremont II) 142 N.H. 462, 703 A.2d 1353 (1997) Link
  Claremont v. Governor (Claremont III) 144 N.H. 210, 744 A.2d 1107 (1999) Link
  Londonderry School District v. State of New Hampshire, 154 N.H. 153, 907 A.2d 988 (1993) (64 KB)
Nebraska
Gould v. Orr, 244 Neb. 163, 506 N.W.2d 349 (1993) Citation only
  Nebraska Coalition for Educational Equity and Adequacy v. Heineman, 273 Neb. 531, 731 N.W.2d 164 (2007) (119 KB)
Nevada
No cases  
New Jersey
Robinson v. Cahill, 303 A.2d 273, 1973 Citation only
  Abbott v. Burke 199 N.J. 140, 971 A.2d 989 (2009) (557 KB)
  Abbott v. Burke (Abbott IV) 149 N.J. 145, 693 A.2d 417 (1997) (368 KB)
  Abbott v. Burke (Abbott V) 153 N.J. 480, 710 A.2d 450(1998) (682 KB)
  Abbott v. Burke, (Abbott VI) 163 N.J. 95, 748 A.2d 82 (2000) Link
New Mexico
Zuni School District v. State, CV-98-14-II, District Court of McKinley County (1999) (5 MB)
New York
Campaign for Fiscal Equity, Inc. v. State, 100 N.Y.2d 893, 801 N.E.2d 326, 769 N.Y.S.2d 106 (2003) (257 KB)
  Levittown v. Nyquist, 57 N.Y.2d 27, 439 N.E.2d 359, 453 N.Y.S.2d 643 (1982) Citation only
North Carolina
Leandro v. State, 346 N.C. 336, 488 S.E.2d 249 (1997) Link
  Britt v. North Carolina State Board of Education, 320 N.C. 790, 361 S.E.2d 71 (1987) Citation only
  Hoke County Board of Education v. State, 195 CVS 1158, Superior Court, (2000) x 4 [Memorandum of Decision pt1 (407 KB)| pt2 (73 KB) | pt3 (167 KB) | pt4 (198 KB)]
North Dakota
Bismarck Public School District No. 1 v. State, 511 N.W.2d 247 (1994) Link
Ohio
Board of Education of Cincinnati v. Walter, 390 N.E.2d 813 (1976) Citation only
  DeRolph v. State, 78 Ohio St.3d 193, 677 N.E.2d 733 (1997) (DeRolph I) (49 KB)
  DeRolph II, 89 Ohio St.3d 1, 728 N.E.2d 993 (2000) (268 KB)
  De Rolph III, 93 Ohio St.3d 309, 754 N.E.2d 1184 (2001) (23 KB)
Oklahoma
Fair School Finance Council of Oklahoma v. State, 746 P.2d 1135 (1987) Link
  Oklahoma Education Association v. State OK 30, 158 P.3d 1058 (2007) (49 KB)
Oregon
Pendleton School District v. State of Oregon, 345 Ore. 596, 200 P.3d 133 (2009) Link
  Coalition for Equitable School Funding v. State, 311 Ore. 300, 811 P.2d 116 (1991) Citation only
  Olsen v. State, 276 Or. 9, 554 P.2d 139 (1976) Citation only
  Withers v. State, 133 Ore. App. 377, 891 P.2d 675 (1995) Citation only
  Withers v. State (Withers II), 987 P.2d 1247 State Court of Appeals (1999) Link
Pennsylvania
Danson v. Casey, 484 Pa. 415, 399 A.2d 360 (1979) Citation only
  Marrero v. Commonwealth, 702 A.2d. 956 (1998) (84 KB)
  Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools v. Ridge, 558 Pa. 374; 737 A.2d 246 (1998) (3 KB)
Rhode Island
City of Pawtucket v. Sundlun, 662 A.2d 40 (1995) Citation only
South Carolina
Richland County v. Campbell,294 S.C. 346; 364 S.E.2d 470 (1988) Citation only
South Dakota
Bezdicheck v. State CIV 91-209, South Dakota Circuit Court (1995) Citation only
Tennessee
Tennessee Small School Systems v. McWherter (Small Schools I), 851 S.W.2d 139 (1993) Citation only
  Tennessee Small School Systems v. McWherter (Small Schools II), 894 S.W. 2d 734, (1995) Citation only
  Tennessee Small School Systems v. McWherter (Small Schools III), 91 S.W.3d 232, (2002) (79 KB)
Texas
Edgewood Independent School District v. Kirby (Edgewood I), 777 S.W.2d 391 (1989) (32 KB)
  Edgewood II, 804 S.W.2d 491 (1991) (61 KB)
  Edgewood III, 826 S.W.2d 489 (1992) Citation only
  Edgewood IV, 917 S.W.2d 717 (1995) (160 KB)
  West Orange-Cove Consolidated ISD v. Neeley, 176 S.W.3d 746 (2005) (85 KB)
Utah
No cases  
Vermont
Brigham v. State, 166 Vt. 246, 692 A.2d 384 (1997) (105KB)
Virginia
Scott v. Commonwealth, 247 Va. 379; 443 S.E.2d 138 (1994) Citation only
Washington
Seattle School District No. 1 v. State, 90 Wn.2d 476, 585 P.2d 71 (1978) Citation only
  Federal Way School District v. State of Washington, 06-2-86840-1 KNT, Superior Court of the State of Washington in and for the County of King (2006) (702 KB)
West Virginia
Pauley v. Kelly, 162 W. Va. 672; 255 S.E.2d 859 (1979) Citation only
  Pauley v. Bailey, 174 W. Va. 167, 324 S.E.2d 128 (1984) Citation only
  Tomblin v. Gainer, Civil Action no. 75-1268 Circuit Court of Kanawha County WV (1995) (418 KB)
Wisconsin
Kukor v. Grover, 148 Wis. 2d 469, 436 N.W.2d 568 (1989) Citation only
  Vincent v. Voight, 614 N.W.2d 388 (2000) (273 KB)
Wyoming Washakie County School District v. Herschler, 606 P.2d 310 (1980) Link
  Campbell County School District v. State (Campbell I), 907 P.2d 1238 (1995) (256 KB)
  Campbell County School District v. State (Campbell II), 2001 WY 19, 19 P.3d 518 (2001) (221 KB)
 
Pending Cases
Alabama
Lynch v. State of Alabama, 568 F. Supp. 2d 1329 (2008) (75 KB)
Arizona
Flores v. State of Arizona, Supreme Court of the United States (2009) (270 KB)
Connecticut
Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, Inc. (CCJEF) v. Rell, Connecticut Superior Court (2005) (163KB)
Washington
McCleary v. State, Superior Court of Washington for King County, filed 2007 (2.3 MB)
Illinois
Chicago Urban League v. State of Illinois, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois (2008) (1.5 MB)
South Carolina
Abbeville v. State of South Carolina, 93-CP-31-0169, Court of Common Pleas, Third Judicial Circuit (2007) (798 KB)
South Dakota
South Dakota Schools Coalition v. State, Cricuit Court of County for Hughes, filed 2006 x 3 [Complaint (2.2 MB), Response (140 KB) & Opinion (362 KB)]
  (Now called Davis v. State of South Dakota)  

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