1990
The Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding is formed to challenge the constitutionality of the Ohio school funding system.

December 1991
The Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding files DeRolph v. State of Ohio in Perry County Common Pleas Court. The suit's name comes from plaintiff Nathan DeRolph, a student at Sheridan High School in the Northern Local School District in Perry County.

October-December 1993
Perry County Common Pleas Court Judge Linton D. Lewis, Jr. hears the case.

July 1994
Judge Lewis rules Ohio's public education system is neither thorough nor efficient as stipulated in the Ohio constitution due to disparities created by the funding method. Linton rules that education is a fundamental right in the state, overturning the Ohio Supreme Court's decision in Cincinnati School District Board of Education v. Walter. Linton directs the Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction and Ohio Board of Education to present proposals for the elimination of wealth-based disparities to the legislature.

August 1994
State defendants file an appeal to Lewis' ruling in Ohio's Fifth District Court of Appeals.

August 1995
In a split decision, the Fifth District Court of Appeals overturns Lewis' ruling. The decision relies on Supreme Court case law as defined in the Walter case, which allowed for district disparities as long as the state provided for basic education. The appeals court finds that Lewis does not have jurisdiction to order the state to recommend changes to public education funding nor to review them.

October 1995
The Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding files an appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court.

January 1996
The Ohio Supreme Court accepts jurisdiction of the case.

March 24, 1997
The Supreme Court rules the Ohio education funding system is unconstitutional and orders compliance with a "complete, systematic overhaul" of the system within 12 months, by March 24, 1998. The court remands the case to the trial court to conduct a hearing and issue findings as to whether the anticipated remedial legislation satisfies the mandates of the Ohio Supreme Court.

February 26, 1999
Judge Lewis rules that the state's response to the Supreme Court order in DeRolph is unconstitutional.

May 11, 2000
The Supreme Court rules that Ohio's school funding system remains unconstitutional and gives the state until June 15, 2001, to bring the system into compliance. The court retains jurisdiction to review the legislation enacted in response to its remedial orders.

September 6, 2001
The Supreme Court rules that Ohio's school funding system is unconstitutional, but orders the state to alter the methodology for determining per-pupil base support and accelerate phase-in of parity aid, at which point the system will become constitutional.

December 11, 2002
The Supreme Court vacates its September 2001 ruling and declares its first two rulings as the law of the case, affirming that the state school funding system remains unconstitutional but effectively ending its oversight of the General Assembly's actions toward compliance.

Following this decision state Rep. Bryan Flannery introduces a bill into the Ohio House that would slash local property taxes former Rep. Flannery's education funding proposal. The issue does not obtain sufficient signatures for November 2005 ballot placement.

May 16, 2003
The Supreme Court prohibits any further litigation in the DeRolph case.

August 13, 2003
Plaintiffs ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the impact of the Ohio Supreme Court's decision barring further litigation.

October 20, 2003
The U.S. Supreme Court denies the request for writ of certiorari and does not issue an opinion.

May 2005
Educate Ohio begins a petition campaign on a constitutional amendment issue based on The Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding files an appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court.

April 2006
The Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding files a friend of the court brief in Doe v. State of Ohio, a special education suit filed in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Ohio. The amicus brief cites DeRolph findings as related to the case.

January 2007
The Committee for the Campaign for Ohio's Future begins the petition process to place its constitutional amendment on the November 2007 ballot.

DALE R. DeROLPH, Parent and Next Friend of NATHAN DeROLPH

RANDY MISKELL

NORTHERN LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION

J. KENNETH MILLER, a Member of the Northern Local School District Board of Education

STEVEN JOHNSON, Superintendent of the Northern Local School District

KEELY THOMPSON, Parent and Next Friend of CHRISTOPHER THOMPSON, a Minor

JOSEPH WINNENBERG

SOUTHERN LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION

LOUIS ALTIER, a Member of the Southern Local School District Board of Education

LIMA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION

JAMES EATON, a Member of the Lima City School District Board of Education

CHARLES BUROKER, Superintendent of the Lima City School District Board of Education

MARION GARY SOUTHERS, Parent and Next Friend of SHERRI SOUTHERS, a Minor BRIAN SOUTHERS. a Minor

CAROL SPANGLER, Superintendent of the Southern Local School District

DONNA BLANKENSHIP, Parent and Next Friend of JAMI BLANKENSHIP

MARK SEMANCO

DAWSON-BRYANT LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION

CARL SWARTZWELDER, a Member of the Dawson-Bryant Local School District Board of Education

WAYNE WHITE, Superintendent of the Dawson-Bryant Local School District

DAVID BOWERS, Parent and Next Friend of ANDREW BOWERS, a Minor CHRISTOPHER BOWERS, a Minor

JON CARVER

ROBERT RIOS

YOUNGSTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION

SOCRATES KOLITSOS, a Member of the Youngstown City School District Board of Education

and

EMANUAL CATSOULES, Superintendent of the Youngstown City School District Board of Education