R.I. School-Finance Formula Is Upheld

By Joanna Richardson

The Rhode Island Supreme Court has upheld the state's school-finance formula, reversing a lower-court decision that found the system favored wealthy communities.

State lawmakers--not the courts--have the responsibility for insuring the right to an education under the state constitution, the high court held last month in overturning the 1994 ruling.

While the supreme court acknowledged that there are funding gaps in the current system, Justice Victoria Lederberg said changes must be initiated by the legislature. But she also cautioned that money alone does not determine whether a student is...