Law & Courts News in Brief

S.C. High Court Rules for Poor, Rural Students

By Denisa R. Superville — December 02, 2014 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A 21-year-old legal battle waged by more than two dozen districts that accused the state of South Carolina of failing to provide a “minimally adequate” education for poor and rural students has come to an end, after the state Supreme Court ruled in the districts’ favor.

In its ruling last month, the court said the state’s failure to address the “effects of pervasive poverty on students within the plaintiffs’ school districts prevented those students from receiving the required opportunity.”

But Chief Justice Jean Toal, who wrote the majority opinion, did not absolve the districts for their role in exacerbating funding inequities, saying that local spending priorities—for athletic facilities and other auxiliary services while students languished in “crumbling schools and toxic academic environments"—were also part of the problem.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the December 03, 2014 edition of Education Week as S.C. High Court Rules for Poor, Rural Students

Events

Federal Webinar The Trump Budget and Schools: Subscriber Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
End Student Boredom: K-12 Publisher's Guide to 70% Engagement Boost
Calling all K-12 Publishers! Student engagement flatlining? Learn how to boost it by up to 70%.
Content provided by KITABOO
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management
Moving the Needle on Attendance: What’s Working NOW
See how family engagement is improving attendance, and how to put it to work in schools.
Content provided by TalkingPoints

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Law & Courts Supreme Court Gives Relief to Maine Legislator in Transgender Sports Controversy
The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily restored voting privileges to a Maine lawmaker whose social media post criticized a transgender athlete.
3 min read
Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, speaks in opposition to a heating assistance package, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, at the State House in Augusta, Maine.
State Rep. Laurel D. Libby speaks at the State House in Augusta, Maine, on Jan. 4, 2023. Libby's February social media post about a transgender athlete ultimately led to a White House confrontation between President Donald Trump and Maine Gov. Janet D. Mills that has escalated to the point of the U.S. Department of Education threatening the state's federal school funding.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Case on Birthright Citizenship Sparks Fears for School Funding
The justices are weighing whether to allow nationwide injunctions of President Donald Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship.
5 min read
Hannah Liu, 26, of Washington, holds up a sign in support of birthright citizenship on May 15, 2025, outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. "This is enshrined in the Constitution. My parents are Chinese immigrants," says Liu. "They came here on temporary visas so I derive my citizenship through birthright."
Hannah Liu, 26, of Washington, holds up a sign in support of birthright citizenship on May 15, 2025, outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. "This is enshrined in the Constitution. My parents are Chinese immigrants," says Liu. "They came here on temporary visas so I derive my citizenship through birthright."
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Law & Courts Opinion What the Supreme Court Case on LGBTQ+ Books Reminds Us About Parents’ Rights
Regardless of which side wins Mahmoud v. Taylor, we have a big problem.
Jamie Kudlats & Christopher D. Thomas
5 min read
Man and woman waiting around speech bubble hole
E+/Getty
Law & Courts Retired Justice Souter, Advocate for Civics and Church-State Split, Dies at 85
Retired Justice David Souter, who wrote Supreme Court opinions on student strip searches and government aid to religion, has died.
4 min read
Retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter smiles during a new lecture series titled, "Constitutionally Speaking" on Sept. 14, 2012 in Concord, N.H. Souter spoke to more than 1,300 who packed a small theater to hear him.
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, pictured participating a Sept. 14, 2012, lecture series on the U.S. Constitution in Concord, N.H., died May 8, 2025.
Jim Cole/AP