Madsen

This litigation involves the legality of a grant of public funds made to respondent Oakland Unified School District by respondent City of Oakland. Commencing it as a purported citizen-taxpayer class action for declaratory relief against all the respondents, appellant Dean Madsen sought a judgment invalidating the grant and ordering reimbursement of the funds. After a nonjury trial at which the parties stipulated to all the pertinent facts, the trial court entered a judgment which expressly disallowed appellant’s various contentions and denied relief. He appeals from the judgment.

Facts

During the 1972-1973 school year, respondent school district experienced an unexpected decline in average daily attendance which produced a proportionate reduction in the district’s state aid and a consequently anticipated deficit of $700,000 in the district’s general fund. On February 13, 1973, John H. Reading (the mayor of respondent city) publicly proposed that the Oakland City Council appropriate $700,000 to provide financial assistance to the school district. Formal request for the appropriation was made by the- school district at a public meeting of the city council on March 6. The…