Today, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that, despite the imperfections of the current school finance system, it meets minimum constitutional requirements.
 
The ruling was in response to a suit brought by Texas school districts, including Austin ISD, regarding the public school finance system.
 
"We are disappointed in today's ruling. Austin ISD educates an increasingly diverse population of 84,000 students, and the fact that we have to do so with outdated financial formulas is discouraging," said Austin ISD Chief Financial Officer Nicole Conley.
 
The ruling states it is not the judicial role to second-guess whether the system is optimal, but says the school funding system "satisfies the minimum constitutional requirement."
 
Furthermore, the ruling urges lawmakers to "seize the urgent challenge and upend an ossified regime ill-suited for 21st century Texas."
 
"We are about preparing students for their futures, and we need the resources necessary to prepare them. Despite the ruling that the school finance system meets minimum requirements, Austin ISD will not lower our standards. We will maintain our focus on rigorous education, and we will continue supporting our students in achieving excellence," said Austin ISD Superintendent Paul Cruz.
 
As the ruling encourages, Austin ISD will continue working with our local delegation to identify resources to provide students with the supports they need and deserve.