By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com
Local and state officials have praised the decision of State District Judge John K. Dietz, of Travis County, to find the Texas school finance system unconstitutionally inadequate for school children in Texas.
Such action comes after Dietz made a similar ruling on Feb. 4, 2013, that culminated a three-month trial with testimony. Dietz specifically declared then that the Texas public school finance system is “arbitrary, inequitable and inadequate under the Texas Constitution.” This was a victory for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) lawsuit, which was joined by San Benito CISD as one of 600 other school districts that took part.
SBCISD Superintendent of Schools Antonio G. Limón also offered testimony at the time as the head of the 18th poorest district in the state.
On Friday, Limón offered the following statement on Dietz’ updated ruling: “All children have a right to a quality education. This is a step in the right direction to assure this happens for all children in Texas.”
According to a MALDEF press release, Dietz made the following statement in a “scathing rebuke” of the school system:
“Rather than attempt to solve the problem, the State has buried its head in the sand, making no effort to determine the cost of providing all students with a meaningful opportunity to acquire the essential knowledge and skills reflected in the state curriculum and to graduate at a college- and career-ready level.”
Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF President and General Counsel, stated, “This powerful ruling provides Texas with the opportunity to secure its own successful future, as well as the state’s future contribution to our national prosperity, by finally ensuring that it invests wisely and sufficiently in the educational success of all Texas children.
“Business as usual, which in Texas regrettably includes perpetuating longstanding patterns of discrimination, would simply ensure the state’s slow but steady educational decline.”
In response to the ruling on Thursday, State Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. (District 27) said, “Today’s ruling means the school funding issue must return to the Legislature. We must seize this opportunity to revise the entire school finance system, including our antiquated calculations for weighted per-pupil funding, especially for the economically disadvantaged students who now comprise the majority of Texas school children. We must also thoughtfully address disparities in revenue raising for public education….”
State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (District 20) said, “While the Legislature made a step in the right direction by appropriating $3.4 billion back into our public education system last session, our current funding system remains inadequate. We cannot expect to succeed as a state if we do not make smart investments in our students, teachers, and schools.”
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