Hornbeck v. Somerset County Board of Education
Maryland Court of Appeals
458 A.2d 758 (Md. 1983)
- Written by Deanna Curl, JD
Facts
The Somerset County Board of Education, other school boards, and taxpayers (the board) (plaintiff) sued the state (defendant), alleging that Maryland’s statutory public-school financing system was unconstitutional. The board alleged that wide disparities in taxable income across districts negatively impacted the ability of poorer districts to provide educational services to students at the same level as wealthier districts under the statutory funding scheme. The lower court found that the right to education is a fundamental right under the Maryland Constitution and, as a result, the school finance system violated the Maryland Constitution’s equal-protection guarantee, but denied other claims brought by the board. Both the board and the state appealed the trial-court decision.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Murphy, C.J.)
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