[billbears]

There weren't many public schools before the War. Fact is the only place the general government took it upon itself to establish public education was in the Northwest Ordinance and that was for a limited area and for a specific cause. I would feel it safe to say that over 95% of any form of federally funded education did not start until after 1867

[RonF]

I'll grant that Federal involvement in public education is an issue separate from the overall issues of whether or not public education is desirable, and how it can be improved.