The testimony on cost formulas wrapped up the first week of the trial of a lawsuit joined by hundreds of Texas school districts challenging the state’s share-the-wealth system of school funding.

Consultant Lynn Moak, who has worked with legislators on education issues, testified Friday that a formula that calculates extra funds to districts with fewer than 1, 600 students hasn't been adjusted since 1985.

The cost of education index, which accounts for cost differences
due to geography, hasn't been updated since 1991.

Moak capped a week of testimony from superintendents of large
districts who all said their cash-strapped schools are barely able
to provide students with adequate education.

Earlier in the week a former Texas education commissioner testified that as many as 35 percent of the students in Dallas schools don't speak fluent English.

Mike Moses said helping non-English speaking students meet state
standards is the greatest challenge for cash-strapped Dallas
schools.

He told State District Judge John Dietz that the language
barrier in Dallas is huge.

On Tuesday, Austin School Superintendent Pat Forgione testified that the district was forced to cut hundreds of teaching jobs because of a lack of money.

Forgione was the first witness for the hundreds of Texas school
districts that brought the lawsuit against the share-the-wealth
system.

Attorneys for the state spent the afternoon questioning Fogione
about some expenditures in the Austin district.

At issue in the trial is the state’s so-called Robin Hood school finance system, which
caps the rates districts can tax property.

The districts contend the cap amounts to an unconstitutional statewide property tax that still denies enough money to educate Texas children equally.

The current funding plan depends on property taxes to pay for school maintenance and operations costs.

Money from property-wealthy districts helps fund poorer districts.

The trial could last more than a month and whatever the final ruling of state District Judge John Dietz, the decision is expected to be appealed to a higher court.

The Legislature, meanwhile, has yet to agree on reworked school finance plan even though most lawmakers say they want a new system that's equitable for all districts.

Property tax relief is another issue.

A first special legislative session on the issue failed.

Gov. Rick Perry could call another special session or let lawmakers take up the issue in the 2005 regular session, which begins in January.

Here are a few key numbers the lawyers will refer to during the trial:

Number of public school districts in Texas: 1,037.
Number of public school students in Texas: 4.3 million
Overall state and local portion Texas education budget: $28 billion
Percent from local property taxes: 62 percent
Percent of districts at the $1.50 property tax rate cap: 48 percent
Number of students educated in those at-the-cap districts: 2.3 million