Texas schools primarily are funded with local property taxes and state aid. Supreme Court justices upheld the law in January 1995. But several school districts in North Texas, which have long criticized the finance system, are planning to file a new lawsuit to overturn the law. Some of those have been involved in previous unsuccessful legal efforts to throw out the law. Mr. Ratliff emphasized that the threat of the lawsuit has nothing to do with plans to appoint the school finance commission.
Many districts are either at or approaching that limit.
Another concern is the increased number of districts sharing their property tax revenues. Austin recently became the biggest district forced to share its tax dollars, and some think the Dallas school district could be in the same situation in a few years. Changes will take time Should the special commission recommend a revised funding system, the earliest that lawmakers could act on the recommendations would be the 2003 legislative session. Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, was one of six senators who voted against the law in 1993. She has sought in the years since to get the law changed but has been rebuffed.