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School Finance and Legal Issues Assignment
Should student achievement and system performance be tied to school funding? Why or
why not?
I absolutely think there is a connection between school financing and system performance
and student accomplishment based on readings and research. As a school administrator, I have
witnessed firsthand how student learning is impacted by school funding—or lack thereof.
Sufficient financing is essential for greater resources, which are required to give pupils a better
education. According to Honig (2020), current studies and publications from conservative and
moderate organizations, "the amount of school funding matters." Student performance improves
when financing for schools is raised; student performance declines when funding for schools is
reduced. The purpose of school financing goals was to give educational institutions enough
money and resources to enable them to offer each child an equal and good education.
Distributive social justice has sparked new school funding reforms to provide equal
educational opportunities (Martinez, 2021). The evolution of school finance litigation throughout
time is consistent with the findings of that research. The system's equity continues to be the
primary source of concern. These relationships are implicated by the Equal Educational
Opportunity Act of 1974, which is a need for community structure and involvement. After 48
years since the law's creation, the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights (2018) declared that the
country's educational system is inadequate and questioned the fairness of educational
opportunities across the board (Martinez, 2021).
I was employed in a school district in 2021 where the bulk of the pupils came from low-
income homes and the school was underfunded. The lack of resources hindered educators' ability
to deliver a top-notch education, which negatively impacted students' test results and grades. I
moved to a new district and function in 2022, and there is a clear difference in the amount of
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School Finance and Legal Issues Assignment
funding. The funding gap was shown to be attributed to student test scores and grades. In terms
of academic accomplishment, my present school district is ranked in both the state and the
country, but my previous district was nonexistent. I firmly believe that the performance of the
system and student achievement are significantly influenced by school funding. According to
Proverbs 22:6, "train up a child in the way he should go, and he will not depart from it even
when he is old" (Smith, 2022).
References
Honig, B. (2020). How top performers build and support: Provide adequate school funding.
Building Better Schools. http://www.buildingbetterschools.com/provide [1] adequate-
school-funding
Martinez, D.G. (2021). Interrogating social justice paradigms in school finance research and
litigation. Interchange 52, 297–317 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-021-09418-4
Smith, S. (2022). Education. OpenBible. https://www.openbible.info/topics/education.
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School Finance and Legal Issues Assignment
Do you anticipate future litigation over school finance? If so, what do you think the
outcome will be? If not, why not?
Over the years, litigation about school finances has resulted in modifications to school
funding; yet concerns remain regarding the system's equity. Research on school finance and
litigation are closely related to each other. The relationships that are required are covered by the
Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1974. The U.S. Commission of Civil Rights (2018)
acknowledged that the country's educational system is inadequate and questioned the parity of
educational opportunity nationwide, 48 years after the law's creation (Martinez, 2021).
The first known school funding case was San Antonio Independent School District v.
Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 1 of 1973. Six school districts, seven parents, the Pennsylvania Association
of Rural and Small Schools (PARSS), and the NAACP filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court
against the governor, state education officials, and legislative leaders on November 10, 2014. The
plaintiffs contend that they were not faithful to the General Assembly's constitutional duty to
ensure that every student has access to a public education system and the materials required to
achieve state academic standards. This lawsuit is still pending after more than 8 years of
litigation. On March 10, 2022, closing arguments were held in response to the main question
posed by this historic trial: Does Pennsylvania's existing school funding structure violate the
state constitution and deny students in low-income communities’ access to the high-quality
public education they are entitled to?
Considering cases such as the Pennsylvania case, I predict that litigation regarding school
funding will continue for some time to come. There is a strong correlation between academic
achievement, school funding, and educational resources in terms of school funding. According to
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School Finance and Legal Issues Assignment
Honig (2022), financially disadvantaged pupils who attend well-funded schools have higher
graduation rates, earn more money, and avoid poverty. Amendments such as the Equal Protection
Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution serve to address the persistent problem
of inadequate or nonexistent school funding. Teachers and parents will continue to fight for
adequate and equitable funding for schools, just as they did for the past 48 years. Give to the
poor and sell your belongings, according to Luke 12:33. Give yourselves money bags that never
rot, a treasure in the sky that never runs out, a place where thieves never come, and moths never
ruin (Smith, 2022).
References:
Honig, B. (2020). How top performers build and support: Provide adequate school funding.
Building Better Schools. http://www.buildingbetterschools.com/provide[1]adequate-
school-funding
Martinez, D.G. (2021). Interrogating social justice paradigms in school finance research and
litigation. Interchange 52, 297–317 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-021-09418-4
Public Interest Law Center, (2022). School funding lawsuit. https://www.pubintlaw.org/cases-
and-projects/school-funding-lawsuit/
School Funding Info. (2022). School Funding. Info. http://www.schoolfunding.info/school-
funding-court-decisions/
Smith, S. (2022). Challenges. https://www.openbible.info/topics/challenges
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