By Hailey Siegrist
Staff Writer
@Hailey_Siegrist
In 2013, Travis County District Judge John Dietz ruled the current Texas school finance system did not meet obligations for over the 1,200 public and charter districts and five million children it serves.
I do not think it is right to take Coppell ISD money and give it to other districts. Money we work for is not all coming back to us, it is going out to a different district.
The school funding lawsuit was ruled unconstitutional because it effectively imposes a state property tax because school districts lack meaningful direction over local property taxes. Texas students do not have substantially equal access to the educational funds necessary to accomplish a general diffusion of knowledge.
This lawsuit is effecting Coppell because it is a small affluent city. Robin Hood public school districts in Texas, such as Coppell ISD, are required to redistribute funds to less wealthy schools.
It should matter because they take our money right out from under us, that is why our city should care about where our money is going and what we are spending it on.
It is good to have an understanding that the ability to raise school funds does not meet the standards that has not been put into place.
“While the current Texas Public School Finance System has been found to be unconstitutional for many reasons, the district does not anticipate any financial relief in the near future,” Coppell ISD Chief Financial Officer Kelly Penny said. “If the funding issues are not addressed during the upcoming legislative session the state is certain to appeal the case to the Texas Supreme Court.”
According to information posted on the CISD website, Judge Dietz said that more wealthy schools and non-wealthy schools should be funded equally for education. They would need to find other solutions to fund the school system to equally meet their own standards.
These districts, according to Dietz, are lacking the quality and quantity of the required for the states academic levels. The amount of money in the system is not enough to educate students at the required level for the state constitution, stated by the Texas Supreme Court.
The original ruling was issued in February 2013 by Dietz but will take effect on July 1, 2015. This case was reopened because Dietz could consider the changes made by the 2013 legislature.The actions were to restore $3 million and cut $5 million, and no new money was put into the school system.
This case may not be concluded until the legislature meets again in 2015. They have reopened this case due to new evidence that was found, but Robin Hood will not go away.
