School Committee of York v. York

Litigation: This was a local struggle to clarify whether towns had authority to handle education matters, in particular school funding.

Outcomes: On June 14, 1993, the Maine Supreme Court upheld the home rule authority of towns over school budgets (impacting town tuitioning), holding that municipalities maintain some authority over education policy.

Why it Matters: Town tuitioning is a form of vouchers first enacted in Maine in 1873. The system relies on the authority of towns to manage their own education budgets, subject to some limitations by the state legislature. This ruling upholding local authority supports the foundation of town tuitioning.

Effects: Maine, like other New England states, values the right of local units of government closest to the people to control, to the extent possible, their own communities. Town tuitioning has been in operation since 1873 and is likely to continue serving the children of Maine.