Chapter 37: Oregon

Historically, school funding in Oregon was heavily reliant on local taxation. In fact, the first public education in Oregon pre-dated statehood. In the 1830s, New Englander John Ball opened the first public school, which largely served the children of fur trappers and explorers (Peterman, 2019). In 1859, Oregon became a state, and included Common schools, a statewide superintendent, and a school fund from the income of sales of land given to the federal government (Peterman, 2019). The initial distribution of these funds was based on counties. Much of the 20th Century was defined by a reliance on local property taxes to fund public schools. Equity concerns mounted as the variation in school funding was directly tied to racial and economic factors. Pressure mounted to address these inequities. From the political left, Civil Rights advocates pushed for a more equitable funding of schools. Meanwhile, those on the political right became increasingly frustrated with ever-growing property taxes. According to Peterman (p. 1, 2019), “per-pupil spending varied $675 to $1795” across the state. In 1976, the Oregon Supreme Court recognized equity concerns, but found in favor of the state because it stated that the constitutional duty relied on local control of school funding in the Olsen v. State decision.