AUSTIN (TIP): The state only slightly reduced big funding gaps between richer and poorer school districts last year, a representative for hundreds of districts told a judge Wednesday, January 29.

Wayne Pierce, executive director of the Equity Center, testified that elementary schools in wealthier districts still have an average $73,000 more per classroom to spend than schools in the state’s poorest districts. That funding advantage exists even though the poorest 15 percent of school districts have significantly higher tax rates than the wealthiest 15 percent, Pierce said. “The [funding] gaps remain exceedingly large,” he said.

“We have an irrational system with layers of irrational funding factors.” Pierce, a former superintendent of the Kaufman school district, also said that lawmakers reduced the average gap between higher-wealth and lower-wealth districts by only $209 per student in the current budget. There is still a gap of nearly $2,000 per student between districts at the upper and lower ends of the property wealth spectrum, he said.

The Equity Center represents low- and medium-wealth school districts. That includes 445 districts that are among the more than 600 suing the state. State District Judge John Dietz ruled the system unconstitutional a year ago. He is holding additional hearings to determine the effect of legislative changes made since his decision. Lawmakers increased funding and scaled back high school testing. School districts say schools still have inadequate resources and an unfair system for distributing funds.

They also argue that the state has improperly limited their ability to raise enough revenue through local property taxes. Catherine Clark, a school finance expert with the Texas Association of School Boards, said that despite funding increases, nearly 40 percent of school districts still have less money this year than they had in the 2010-11 school year. Those 408 districts include Dallas and several other North Texas districts. Combined, they educate 2.3 million students.

The Legislature slashed education funding by $5.4 billion in 2011 to help ease a state budget crunch. Lawmakers restored $3.4 billion last year. “The funding system is leveling down at the same time that standards are being raised,” she told the judge. “The funding has not responded to the increased standards set by the state.” The case is expected to wind up before the Texas Supreme Court later this year after Dietz issues his final decision.