Disparity In Financing Public Education: Is There An Alternative to Rodriguez?

Revenues necessary to fund public education are generated by a system of school financing in general use throughout the United States. Basically, funds are derived from three sources: federal aid, state aid, and some form of local ad valorem tax on property, as determined by assessed values. Even though the percentages supplied by each source vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, each system appears to have one common denominator- a major portion of its operating fund is supplied by taxation of property situated within the school district or local unit of government. Obviously, a district with high property values can generate more revenue for public education than a property poor sister district, even though the taxpayers residing in the wealthier district may have a smaller tax burden. Thus, the more fortunate citizens living in the wealthy districts are able to provide a higher quality education for their children than those who reside in districts with low property values, assuming at least some causal connection between available funds and educational quality