On March 21, 2006, a group of school districts and parents from across Oregon filed a lawsuit against the State of Oregon, alleging that lawmakers have failed in their constitutional duty to adequately fund schools. The OSBA Board voted unanimously on March 3, 2006 to support the lawsuit. The following links provide background information on the lawsuit and the status of education funding in Oregon.

Update: The Oregon Court of Appeals issued its ruling on May 14, 2008, sending the coalition to appeal to the Supreme Court. The appeals court ruled that the state legislature does not have an obligation to provide sufficient funding to meet the quality goals of Oregon's public education system.

Read more about the coalitions position and plans: May 15 news release

Comment from OSBA Executive Director Kevin McCann

"While we're disappointed in the appellate court's interpretation of our Constitution, we're not surprised this issue is headed for the Supreme court. We anticipated from the start this court would want a voice in what is probably the biggest challenge we face -- stable, adequate funding to meet the growing demands on our public schools. In March 2006, the OSBA board unanimously endorsed the goals behind the Oregon School Funding Defense Foundation litigation. We'll continue to watch this issue closely." 

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• Visit the Oregon School Funding Defense Foundation Web site for more information

OSBA's Lawsuit Resources
	Insights & Action: No Panacea, But Funding Lawsuit Should Focus Public Attention OSBA's award-winning special edition of Focus on Critical Issues from 2003 takes a look at Oregon's school funding issue from several angles.
Sample Board Resolutions
	MSW		WP		RTF	Description		If your board adopted the sample resolution provided by OSBA or one of your own, please send or e-mail a copy of that resolution to David Williams, OSBA’s Legislative and Public Affairs specialist at P.O. Box 1068, Salem, OR 97308.
						Sample board resolution IN SUPPORT OF the lawsuit - Use this guide to create a local board resolution to support the school funding adequacy lawsuit. If you have questions about the litigation or the resolutions, you can contact David Williams by e-mail or call him, 800-578-6722.