and graduate degree options in Business, Education, and Engineering. Other notable universities include Yeshiva University in Washington Heights, a Jewish university rooted in America's oldest Yeshiva, founded in 1886. One of the nation's most prestigious conservatories, The Juilliard School, is located on the Upper West Side. New York Law School, a private law school in lower Manhattan, is one of the oldest independent law schools in the United States. The New York Academy of Sciences is one of the oldest scientific societies in the United States, comprising some 20,000 scientists of all disciplines from 150 countries. Primary and secondary education Public schools The New York City public school system is the largest in the United States. More than 1.1 million students are taught in more than 1,700 public schools with a budget of nearly $25 billion. The public school system is managed by the New York City Department of Education. It includes Empowerment Schools. According to Census Data, NYC spent $19,076 each year per student in 2013, more than any other state compared to the national average of $10,560. Per student spending has continued to increase. Among New York City public high schools are nine selective specialized high schools: Brooklyn Latin School, Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, the High School of American Studies at Lehman College, the High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College, Queens High School for the Sciences, Stuyvesant High School, and Staten Island Technical High School. The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) examination is required for admission to all the schools except LaGuardia, which requires an audition or portfolio for admission. Other selective high schools include Hunter College High School, a public school run by CUNY. A small portion of land between the town of Pelham and Pelham Bay Park, with a total of 35 houses, is a part of the Bronx, but is cut off from the rest of the borough due to the way the county boundaries were established. Since 1948, the New York City government has paid for the residents' children to attend Pelham Union Free School District schools, since that is cheaper than sending school buses to take the students to New York City schools. School funding lawsuit A constitutional challenge to the New York State school funding system was filed in 1993 by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. The