First of two parts. More than 5 million children are enrolled in public schools throughout Texas, and how to pay for them to receive the best education available is a perennial argument in the Texas Legislature. While state leaders have named public education reforms among their priorities for this session, any serious discussion of school finance is on the back burner until a lawsuit over the way the state pays for education is resolved—potentially forcing a special session on the issue later in the year. Texas is being sued by more than 600 school districts in several lawsuits over issues that include inadequate and unequal funding, as well as the method by which districts receive state funds. Cost to Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a Republican, has said that the suit is likely to end in a judgment that could cost Texas billions of dollars and that state budget writers should put away enough money to cover it. He has not named an amount. Democrats, education advocates and teachers' groups are still outraged at the more than $5.3 billion in cuts to school funding and educational programs made by lawmakers in 2011 during a historic budget shortfall. When the state House and Senate released their baseline budgets Jan. 14, critics noted that the numbers did not include any restoration of those cuts—even though, they said, some 10,700 teachers were laid off or lost through attrition as a result of the cuts, and more than 1,300 schools have increased class sizes. "I'm disappointed the first draft of the budget continues the historic education cuts," said state Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-District 123. "I look forward to working with legislators in the coming months to use the state's increased revenue to start undoing the cuts. We must invest in our schoolchildren if we are committed to growing our economy." Conservatives have said the state needs to focus on providing a better education for the money that is spent, encouraging efficiency over further expenditures. The budget estimated 170,000 new student enrollments in Texas schools during the next biennium, funding for whom is covered in the budget, though some analysts said the numbers point to a decrease in per-student spending even from last session. The budget is subject to change as the chambers begin their hearings processes; the House has not yet named the committee members who would deal with the budget and school finance.