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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The 200th Judicial District Court has ruled that the |
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state's school finance system is inequitable and unconstitutional; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Concurring with more than 600 school districts that |
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sued the state over its funding methods, the court found that the |
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school finance system violates the efficiency provision of Section |
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1, Article VII, Texas Constitution, because it fails to provide |
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substantially equal access to revenues necessary to provide a |
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general diffusion of knowledge; the court further ruled that the |
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system is not adequately funded and fails to make suitable |
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provision for its own support and maintenance, and that it |
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arbitrarily funds districts at different levels and below |
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constitutional requirements; and |
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WHEREAS, The court also declared that the Texas school |
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finance system is constitutionally unsuitable for the provision of |
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a general diffusion of knowledge to low-income and English Language |
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Learner students; in addition, it ruled that the system has left |
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school districts without meaningful discretion in setting their tax |
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rates, thus creating a state ad valorem tax in violation of Section |
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1-e, Article VIII, Texas Constitution; and |
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WHEREAS, The framers of the Texas Constitution understood the |
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vital importance of a well-educated citizenry; our state cannot |
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maintain the vitality of its economy if it continues to fail in its |
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constitutional obligations to its public schools, and our children |
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should not be asked to wait for the conclusion of an extended |
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appeals process before the school finance system is reformed in |
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accordance with the ruling of the 200th Judicial District Court; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the attorney general of Texas to |
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expeditiously advance any necessary appeals of the ruling of the |
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200th Judicial District Court in the school finance case so that the |
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legislature can undertake and more quickly conclude the difficult |
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work of resolving the current educational crisis; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward an |
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official copy of this resolution to the attorney general of Texas as |
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an official expression of the sentiment of the Legislature of the |
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State of Texas. |