Five years after Cy-Fair ISD cut more than $106 million from its budget because of state-mandated cuts and budget shortfalls, a judge ruled the state's school finance system unconstitutional. The case is far from over, as the state is expected to appeal the decision to the Texas Supreme Court this year.
"Judge Dietz's ruling is a key early victory for students and teachers in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and across the state," Superintendent Mark Henry said.
More than 600 Texas school districts joined one of five school finance-related lawsuits against the state, which were combined by Dietz during the trial. CFISD first joined the Fort Bend ISD vs. Robert Scott lawsuit in December 2011, which revolved around the notion that school funding should be adequate and equitable.
Leaders have said the funding cuts in the previous legislative session were unavoidable because the state faced a historic shortfall of up to $27 billion, but legislators have also not earmarked any replacement funding during the current legislative session—even as the state is flush with cash from oil and gas profits.
