San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez

San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez (1973) stands out as the only case in which the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the issue of school finance. In Rodriguez, the Court upheld Texas's school funding system, which relied on local taxes, finding that it was not unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In so doing, the Court held that education was not a fundamental right and was not afforded explicit protection under the U.S. Constitution. In addition, the Court essentially repudiated Serrano v. Priest I (1971) wherein the Supreme Court of California had decided that education was so protected by the federal constitution. In Serrano II (1975), the Supreme Court of California asserted that education was a fundamental right under the state ...