School Finance! It is a hot topic. Now with four law suits filed against the Texas Education Agency and the Legislature, the topic is hopefully getting examined. Each of the four groups agrees on two major points: adequacy and suitability for students and that a state property tax has been established since most schools have met the maximum tax rate. Texas School Finance Litigation is based on two sentences in our Texas Constitution – “A general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision of the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools;” secondly, “No State ad valorem taxes shall be levied upon any property within this State.”The four groups are Texas Taxpayers & Student Fairness Coalition of which SSISD is a member, MALDEF - Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Thompson-Horton, and Haynes and Boone. These groups represent large, small, rural, poor and wealthy schools. All classifications of school districts are represented and over 600 schools districts have joined one of the groups. Many of the legislators agree that the system is broken, but a solution is not easily defined and implemented. Senator Kel Seliger said during the recent legislative session that, “since 2006 we have labored under a system that is structurally inequitable. It is designed almost not to treat schools, not to treat the students in those schools, equally.” (4/8/11 Senate Subcommittee on Public Education Funding)The lawsuits are taking shape and they have been assigned to Judge John Dietz of Austin, who presided over the West Orange-Cove case on Texas school finance in 2005. The number one goal of the Texas Taxpayers and Student Fairness Coalition is to establish a funding system that treats all Texas children and taxpayers fairly and a system that provides the opportunity for a quality, world-class education for everyone. Please keep up with the progress made on these cases. Contact your legislator or your leaders of organizations. School finance impacts each and every one of us either as a grandparent, parent, employer or taxpayer. It is to your benefit to stay informed and help support Texas Public Schools. Parents, let us know how we can help you the first day of school all the way until the last day of school!! Please check the website at www.san-saba.net for school information and follow us on facebook, too! If you have any question about this article or any other question about school happenings please contact me at 325/372-3144 or email me at lglaze@san-saba.net .