Dive Brief:
- On Tuesday, the Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case over the constitutionality of how the state funds public education.
- The case makes the seventh time in 30 years that the state’s school finance system has faced a legal challenge.
- The court is expected to take months to come to a decision on whether the state legislature must come up with a fix for insufficient and inequitable school funding.
Dive Insight:
Lawmakers in Washington and Kansas have also grappled with similar issues following lawsuits brought by local teacher unions, parent groups, or school districts. In Washington, the state faces thousands in fines per day over a court ruling that the legislature has allocated insufficient funds for schools. In Kansas, a controversial school funding plan has stirred legal controversy.
These cases come as many states struggle to return to pre-recession funding levels. Meanwhile, more public school students have slid into poverty, presenting another financial and instructional challenge for districts. Many states still operate funding systems that fund wealthier districts at higher levels than poor ones, a matter that can further exacerbate disparities and is at the heart of many court cases.