In the case of Springfield Township School District et al. v. Knoll (1984), the U.S Supreme Court addressed a dispute over public school funding in Pennsylvania. The parents of private school students, including Mrs. Knoll, argued that they were entitled to receive textbooks and other instructional materials from their local public schools for free under state law - just as public school students did. However, the Springfield Township School District refused this request on grounds that it would violate the Establishment Clause of First Amendment which prohibits government support for religious activities since many private schools are religiously affiliated. The court ruled in favor of Mrs.Knoll and other parents stating that providing textbooks to all students regardless if they attend a public or private institution does not breach any constitutional laws because it is considered secular assistance rather than promoting religion directly or indirectly.

In the dissenting opinion for Springfield Township School District et al. v. Knoll, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a Pennsylvania law allowing non-resident students to attend public schools in their parents' school district of employment violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The dissent contended that this law unfairly discriminated against children whose parents did not work in districts with superior educational resources and opportunities, creating an unjust disparity based on parental employment rather than student need or merit. Furthermore, they asserted that such discrimination lacked a rational basis as it neither served any legitimate state interest nor related reasonably to its purpose; instead, it arbitrarily favored one group over another without sufficient justification.