Arkansas Public Interest Groups File Amicus Brief in Education Finance Case

On January 31, 2002, the Arkansas Public Policy Panel and the Rural School and Community Trust filed a joint amicus brief in the Lakeview case, which is now before the Arkansas Supreme Court. The groups filed the brief on behalf of Arkansas' many poor, rural students, and they ask the court to uphold the lower court decision, which held that the current finance system is unconstitutional. Their brief explains the strengths and weaknesses of the state's rural schools and the inability of local property taxes to generate sufficient resources to provide an equal and adequate educational opportunity to rural students.

For a brief history of this litigation and other recent education finance events in Arkansas, see Arkansas.

Prepared January 31, 2002.