Education financing in the United States is surprisingly complex. While education policy is primarily a responsibility of each individual U.S. state, local districts are centrally involved in funding in most states. The federal government plays a minor role in the overall financing of schools, although this funding gives the federal government influence over larger policy issues. Revenues are, on average, almost equally raised by states and local districts, while the federal government contributes approximately 10% of total funding, but these percentages vary significantly across states. Importantly, layered on top of legislative and executive decisions, court rulings have proved a source of very active oversight and intervention into the funding decisions of states and localities. This contribution focuses on this role of the courts, but it is necessary to understand the larger institutional structure of school finance to contextualize the specialized interventions of the courts.