South Dakota school funding formula is ruled constitutional

From The Rapid City Journal: The South Dakota Supreme Courthas upheld the constitutionality of the state's system for funding school districts and rejected arguments that the formula does not provide enough money to assure students of an adequate education. In a unanimous ruling, the high court, noting that the legal challenge was supported by about two-thirds of the state's school districts, said the suit raised serious questions about the funding system and showed that some districts struggle to provide adequate facilities and qualified teachers. "Even so, reasonable doubt exists that the statutory funding mechanisms or level of funding are unconstitutional," Justice Judith Meierhenry wrote for the court. The decision upholds a 2009 lower court ruling that the system is constitutional because it provides students with an adequate education. About 100 of the state's 161 school districts have supported the lawsuit and helped pay legal expenses.