School finance lawsuit back in court
State Judge John Dietz heard new testimony beginning Tuesday morning in the public school finance lawsuit. Last year, in a preliminary verbal ruling, Dietz said the Texas system used to finance public education was inadequate, and therefore, unconstitutional.
The original lawsuit, filed after the Texas Legislature cut more than $5 billion from public school classroom funding, included about 600 school districts. Lawyers representing those districts, which educate more than five million students, argued that the financial system violated a Texas Constitutional right to adequate education.
In Dietz’s verbal ruling, he said fixing the system would require an additional $2,000 per pupil. That equates to about $10 billion extra in every two-year budget developed by the legislature.
The 2013-2014 budget restored about $3.4 billion of the money cut from education spending. Standardized tests also went from 15 to five.
The new trial marks the beginning of what is expected to be several weeks of testimony, after which Dietz will decide if more money, and fewer standardized tests, made a difference.
Dietz indicated before the trial began he hopes to make a decision by April.
District to host public forums on bond proposal
Hays CISD board members voted in December to accept the recommendation of the Hays CISD Growth Impact Committee to pursue a possible $59.3 million school bond initiative for the May 10, 2014 election.
The board will hold three public forums on the proposal prior to determining whether to call for a bond election.
Below is the schedule for the public forums:
Thursday, Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Dahlstrom Middle School (3600 FM 967, Buda, Texas)
Saturday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. at Wallace Middle School (1500 West Center Street, Kyle, Texas)
Monday, Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Lehman High School (1700 Lehman Road, Kyle, Texas)
Visit www.hayscisd.net/bondlist to see a detailed list of proposed items for the bond.
