ABSTRACT
All fi fty state constitutions mandate a statewide system of public education, charging state governments with providing a “thorough and effi cient system of free public schools” (or similar language). State legislatures fulfi ll this obligation by establishing compulsory schooling laws, curriculum standards, and institutions governing the formation and operation of school districts. Despite constitutional goals, states historically played only a minor role in the fi nancing of public schools, leaving the funding and day-to-day management of schools in the hands of local governments.
