Texas School Financing Unconstitutional, Again !

That is what a district judge ruled.
I wonder what tricks our legislators will pull to deal with this. 🙄
This is not the first time this has happened and certainly will not be the last.

Originally posted by caissad4
That is what a district judge ruled.
I wonder what tricks our legislators will pull to deal with this. 🙄
This is not the first time this has happened and certainly will not be the last.

Just to be clear, this is a state judge, not federal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/education/texas-school-financing-system-is-ruled-unconstitutional.html?_r=0

quote:

Texas: School Financing System Is Ruled Unconstitutional
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 4, 2013

The system Texas uses to finance public schools violates the state’s Constitution by not providing enough money to districts and failing to distribute the money fairly, a judge ruled Monday in a decision that could force the Legislature to overhaul school financing. The state is expected to appeal the ruling by Judge John Dietz to the Texas Supreme Court. In 2005, Judge Dietz found the previous funding system unconstitutional and directed the Legislature to devise a new one. At issue are $5.4 billion in cuts to education the Legislature imposed in 2011. Texas does not have a state income tax, meaning it relies on local property taxes to finance schools. But lawyers for about 600 public school districts said the bottom 15 percent of the state’s poorest districts tax average 8 cents more than the wealthiest 15 percent of districts but receive about $43,000 less per classroom.

Originally posted by JS357
Just to be clear, this is a state judge, not federal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/education/texas-school-financing-system-is-ruled-unconstitutional.html?_r=0

quote:

Texas: School Financing System Is Ruled Unconstitutional
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 4, 2013

The system Texas uses to finance public schools violates the state’s ...[text shortened]... s more than the wealthiest 15 percent of districts but receive about $43,000 less per classroom.

My question would be what part of the Texas Constitution does that method of funding abuse? It may or may not be unfair,

It might seem unfair that richer areas fund schools better, primarily due to higher property values. But recognize that people bought the more expensive houses based to a large extent the location, and the school district. So if you want better schools you can pay a higher mortgage payment, larger taxes and get in on the better schools.

Here in Michigan, schools are funded by a State Sales tax or actually 2% of it, plus proceeds from the State Lottery. The money is suppose to be handed out on a per student basis, counted twice a year on "count days".

By the way, inner city residents make the claim that they are by far bigger lottery players than rural and suburbanites, and so should get a larger share of the lottery money. How about the novel idea of parents funding schools.

The Progressive idea of mandatory public education was a xenophobic notion of Teddy Roosevelt to get children of immigrant families away from home and out of factories. He didn't want the next generation of Irish, Italians and Jews to turn out like their parents.

Originally posted by caissad4
That is what a district judge ruled.
I wonder what tricks our legislators will pull to deal with this. 🙄
This is not the first time this has happened and certainly will not be the last.

In the headlong pursuit of cutting taxes, Texas has failed to allocate enough money to fund schools even to it's low national standards. They may not be able to read and write very well in Texas, but at least they field some good football teams. 🙄

Originally posted by normbenign
My question would be what part of the Texas Constitution does that method of funding abuse?

This part:

ARTICLE 7. EDUCATION

Sec. 1. SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE OF SYSTEM OF PUBLIC FREE SCHOOLS. A general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.

Originally posted by moon1969
This part:

ARTICLE 7. EDUCATION

Sec. 1. SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE OF SYSTEM OF PUBLIC FREE SCHOOLS. A general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.

It would seem that a Statewide funding source is needed to conform. Local funding doesn't cut it. Obviously some school districts are more affluent than others.