Last week, The Texas Tribune published a column by Senator Jose Rodriguez titled Texas' resources should go to schools, students most in need.

In the column, Senator Rodriguez says, "The school finance system has become outdated, inefficient and, worst of all, insufficient. The worst provisions include "hold harmless," the result of political deals that should have expired long ago. This means that some districts with high property values can tax at lower rates and yet still obtain extra funding from the state, while districts with low property values have to tax at the highest rates - in effect, taxpayers in low-wealth districts are subsidizing the wealthy districts."

He also notes the Legislature has historically failed to take action to fix the inequities in our system without the "proverbial gun to the head from the Texas Supreme Court."

However, since the Supreme Court's ruling, we have seen a growing number of lawmakers who are actively engaged, and diligently working to find a solution to fix our inequitable and inadequate system...despite the lack of a "gun to the head."

For example, Representative Diego Bernal published a report this week (What They Said, What I Learned from Conversations with Texas Educators) after visiting with all fifty-five campuses in House District 123 (San Antonio area).

In the report, he says his commitment to public education is rooted in two core beliefs: "The first is that education can solve our most pressing problems--poverty, hunger, inadequate health care, the lack of affordable housing, unemployment, crime, the need for criminal justice reform, and many more. Second is my belief that in order to unlock education's immense potential it must be offered to all students fairly and equitably. The idea that educational opportunities are determined by zip code is un-American and falls short of the greatness of Texas."

Sounds to us like these two lawmakers (and many others) are on the right track. They're keenly aware of the issues facing our system, eager to find an equitable solution, and determined to do what's best for our children and taxpayers. What more could you ask for? 

The Equity Center is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization of over 700 school districts across the state ranging in size, demographics, and location. We are the only entity focused solely on advocating for the fair and equitable treatment of Texas taxpayers and children.
 www.equitycenter.org