San Antonio v. Rodriguez
Citation
411 U.S. 1 (1973)
Facts
Texas funded its public schools primarily through local property taxes, which produced significant wealth-based disparities in per-pupil expenditures between rich and poor school districts. Parents of children in property-poor districts challenged the system as unconstitutional.
Issue
Whether the Texas school finance system, which produced wealth-based disparities through reliance on local property taxes, violated the Equal Protection Clause.
Holding
The Supreme Court upheld the Texas school finance system under rational basis review, finding it rationally related to the state’s interest in local control of education.
Rule
Wealth is not a suspect class; education is not a fundamental right; school finance disparities are subject only to rational basis review under the Equal Protection Clause.