In the United States, public schools are funded by a system of fiscal federalism – that is, the funds used to run them have been allocated to the federal, state, and local levels. At the national level, from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, combined federal and state government support for public education accounted for just under 50 percent of all operating costs, with the federal treasury providing less than ten percent of the total cost of public education. As a result, about half of the money school districts need comes from local sources, primarily local property taxes. States have developed countless property classifications and formulas for distributing state aid to level educational opportunities for students in rich and poor school districts. In addition, most states provide special funding for school transportation, education for students with disabilities, and other expensive services and programs. Although the federal government has not traditionally intervened in the local education process, the debate over education reform has been widespread in the United States. On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub. L. No. 107-110, 115 Stat.

1425 (20 U.S.C.A. §§ 6301 et seq.), which promises reform of national education policy. Like other federal education legislation, this Act provides funding for a variety of educational programs. The law also contains several provisions on the examination of primary school students, which is controversial among educators. Critics say standardized tests can cause anxiety in students and don`t always accurately reflect students` skills. Proponents counter that objective tests have long been used to determine students` abilities and test schools` skills to effectively teach their students. For nearly two decades, lower courts have interpreted the Tinker mandate broadly, applying it to controversies involving a range of expressive activities by students, sponsored by schools, and others. Although Tinker was not overturned, the Court limited the application of its principle in the late 1980s and early 1990s, beginning with the 1986 Bethel School decision Dist. 403 v.

Fraser. In Fraser, the court upheld disciplinary action against a student for using a sexual metaphor in a inaugural speech at a student government meeting. The Court recognized that the teaching of core values of courtesy is an important objective of public schools and that a school board has the power to determine what type of speech is inappropriate in classrooms and assemblies. Many of the issues addressed by K-12 schools are also issues facing colleges, such as funding, respect for student and teacher rights, and equal access to education. But there are other unique issues, such as issues with student-athletes, that may require additional attention from education advocates. In addition to Title IX, many other federal laws prohibit discrimination in education on the basis of protected characteristics, including race, age, and national origin. These laws include Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Disabled Persons Education Act (IDEA), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Title VI prohibits educational institutions from discriminating on the basis of race, colour, or national origin. IDEA and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act protect people with disabilities from discrimination in educational settings.

Title II provides full protection for the civil rights of qualified persons with disabilities and requires state and local governments to make reasonable changes to any policy or practice that denies equal access to persons with disabilities, unless doing so results in a fundamental change in the program. According to Rodriguez, in about half of the states, litigation is pending under the same protection and education clauses in state constitutions. Challenges under the Land constitutional law are not uniform in scope. Issues of equality (equal protection) and quality (effective public education) can lead to different policies and outcomes, depending on the wording and interpretation of each state`s constitution. Despite negative court rulings, the legal dispute over school funding has sparked a trend toward legislative reform in many states. The new laws are designed to level educational opportunities for all children, regardless of their school district assets or their parents` income. The Supreme Court`s decision in Lemon v. Kurtzman helped determine to what extent and what kind of state support is allowed for private religious schools. [19] The test consisted of three parts.

The law of the State in question must have a secular purpose; Its primary effect must not “promote or inhibit religion” and must not lead to “excessive government involvement in religion.” [20] However, the test is not easy to apply and, over the past half-century, it has never been clear where to draw the line.