Serrano v. Priest

Serrano v. Priest was a landmark California Supreme Court case decided in 1971. The court ruled that the state's financing system for public schools, which relied heavily on local property taxes, created disparities in educational funding based on local wealth. This meant that richer areas could spend significantly more on schools than poorer areas, violating the state's constitutional guarantee of equal protection. The decision prompted reforms aimed at making school funding more equitable across California, ensuring that all students, regardless of their neighborhood's wealth, would have access to similar educational resources and opportunities.