Top items in Texas Finance History

EDLD 5342 Week 1-Assignment 1, Part 1

1)      Citizens in the United Mexican States obviously felt education was important for their children since elementary schools were mandated to be created in the Federal Constitution written in 1824. They were never established, however, and became listed in the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836 as a cause to seek independence. It is clear from the very beginning of settlement in Texas, education was important to parents and viewed as an obligation of the state.

2)      To address this growing concern and make sure it was funded, the Texas Constitution of 1845 established the Permanent School Fund. Managed by the State Board of Education, the intent was to create an on-going endowment providing for funding of education without taxing the citizenry. It is based on the sale and lease of public lands and mineral rights.

3)      After the Civil War, a new Texas Constitution was written and imposed mandatory schooling for children 8-14; however, even more revolutionary was when Reconstructionists were thrown out of office in 1873 and yet another Texas Constitution was written in 1876 declaring essentially that education is to be diffused to the general population and the State was responsible for funding and maintaining this education. Since this provision the grand-daddy of many modern day law suits, it is significant that the State recognized itself as a major provider of this service.

4)      Senate Bill 1 passed in 1995 is an attempt to provide adequate and equitable funding for all school districts by giving property rich school districts 5 choices to distribute funds that exceed a certain amount to property poor districts thus evoking the term, “Robin Hood Law”. The State is still struggling with the fairness of this solution as it has spawned lawsuits on both sides as to how distribution should work.