Texas’ byzantine school finance system will face legal scrutiny for the first time in a decade after a rural school board voted to sue the state.
The Midland Independent School District board unanimously greenlit the lawsuit Tuesday night, arguing that the state’s restrictive funding rules unfairly strip the local board of its power to levy property taxes.
The suit, which will be filed in Travis County, sets up the first significant challenge to the system since 2016 and, if successful, could force the state Legislature to rework the system to allow districts to keep more of their local taxes. It comes as lawmakers have struggled in recent years to address voter anger over rising property taxes, with Gov. Greg Abbott going as far as calling for abolishing school taxes entirely for homeowners…