Court Rejects System for Funding Schools

Using local property taxes to finance public education is unconstitutional and “deprives children of an equal educational opportunity,” the Vermont Supreme Court ruled. In its 5-0 decision, the court said the Legislature needs to come up with a more equitable way to pay for schools. The American Civil Liberties Union had sued the state on behalf of 13 schoolchildren, taxpayers and school districts, claiming that the wide disparity in towns’ abilities to collect property taxes violated the state Constitution’s guarantee to educate every student in the state.