Bob and Kerri Raesz, Tamra and Scott Villareal
Blair and Amy Beard, Debra and AJ Miller
eviscerated school funding by cutting $5.4 billion in 2011, a move that eventually prompted over 600 school districts across Texas to bring a lawsuit against the state for a current school finance system that they feel is unconstitutional because funding is inadequate to meet state standards and is distributed unfairly. In 2013, Texas ranked 49th out of 50 states for per-pupil spending. This year, after the Legislature added $3.4 billion in 2013, Texas moved up to 46th. Stutz states, “The new figures show, though, that Texas tops only Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Utah in per-pupil funding. It spends about $59,000 less per elementary classroom that the national average, according to the National Education Association, a teacher union that compiles the figures based on information from state education agencies.” State District Judge John Dietz ruled against the state last year, but after the Legislature increased funding in their 2013 session, he agreed to hear additional testimony. In his preliminary ruling, Dietz warned that Texas was spending too little to educate its children and that failure to improve spending could jeopardize the economic position of Texas relative to other states. Texas is a rich state. It ranks as the 14th largest economy in the world by GDP measurements. And 46th out of 50 states in per-pupil spending on public education. Some groups feel that more funding does not make a difference in student performance. However, a Texas Education Agency Haythem Dawlett, Sherri Colca
Guy and Jamie Clayton, Courtney and Caleb Cunningham
Robbie Armitage, Sandy Cox, Keenah Armitage, Darren Gibson
Kim Patty, Kay Claybough, Jeanne Marie Ellis
Gary and Amy Liardon
28 Waterways | Summer 2014
Allison and Dr. Robert D’Alfonso
Linda and David DeOme, Lakeway Mayor
Laura Abbott, Kathleen Hassenfratz, Amy Goldman, Gail Simmons, Sheri Bonds, Becky Burnett
Nicco and Rebecca Azari