Updated 4:50 p.m. May 13


Round Rock ISD, Pflugerville and Hutto ISD superintendents all characterized the ruling as a disappointment.

“Although the state finance system meets the constitutional needs of Texas, according to the court’s ruling, our belief is students deserve more than the minimum. The future of the Texas economy is contingent on how well we educate our children,” said RRISD Superintendent Steve Flores.

Flores also said the funding system puts much of the burden on local taxpayers, making it difficult for districts to raise the money needed to meet a growing demand for quality teachers and learning services.

PfISD Superintendent Alex Torrez said in a statement the district will continue to work toward a positive outcome.

"As part of the original lawsuit, we are disappointed," Torrez said. "Quite honestly, I am surprised. I had high hopes that the Supreme Court would rule on behalf of the students and school districts."

HISD Superintendent Doug Killian said in a statement the state is a victim of its own success by attracting new businesses which means more families moving to the state and more students in the school system.

"The state used to help districts fund the impact of this business-friendly state," Killian said. "There was money to help local communities offset the cost of new building debt, furniture, equipment and so forth. That is all but gone now."

Original story


Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett delivered a court opinion May 13 that holds the Texas school finance system as constitutional, validating the oft-criticized "recapture" concept.

“Despite the imperfections of the current school funding regime, it meets minimum constitutional requirements,” Willet said in his opinion.

Recapture, also known as "Robin Hood," is a system through which property-rich districts, such as Austin ISD are required by law to send some of their property tax revenue to the state to be redistributed among districts deemed property-poor.

Pflugerville and Hutto ISDs were part of the lawsuit that brought the case to the Texas Supreme Court. For years, school districts have battled the Texas State Board of Education and the Texas Education Agency over the legality of recapture.

The TEA deferred to the Office of the Governor for comments about the ruling.

In a statement, Gov. Greg Abbott said the ruling is a "victory for Texas taxpayers and the Texas Constitution."

"The Supreme Court's decision ends years of wasteful litigation by correctly recognizing that courts do not have the authority to micromanage the state's school finance system," Abbott said.

State Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin, in a statement urged Abbott to call a special session to fully fund public education in the aftermath of the Texas Supreme Court ruling.

"I am extremely disappointed in the ruling today from the Texas Supreme Court," Israel said in a statement. "It was especially surprising to see the court label our system 'Byzantine' and 'meeting minimal standards' at the same time."

View the Texas Supreme Court ruling here (PDF).