Thomas Ratliff, a Republican seated on the State Board of Education, which is one of the defendants in the Texas school finance trial, says he hopes his side loses in the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of how schools are funded in the state.
"I think we go back to the drawing board and put the school finance system back together without all the bubble gum and bailing wire we’ve added to it," Ratliff said. "The system is so out of whack that we’ve got A, big disparities; B, inefficient distribution system; and an inadequate funding level."
Ratliff said he especially worries how smaller school districts are going to survive once the new curriculum endorsements and graduation requirements take effect.
"My biggest concern is the 1-A to 3-A school districts and their ability to offer much of any of these endorsements because of manpower limitations or funding limitations especially in math," Ratliff said.