CARROLLTON-FARMERS BRANCH ISD v. EDGEWOOD ISD

Citation Codes

Equivalent Citations

citation codes

Docket Number

Nos. D-1469, D-1477, D-1493, D-1544, D-1560.

Attorney(S)

Michael L. Atchley, Earl Luna, Robert E. Luna, Dallas, for appellants in No. C-1469. Richard E. Gray, III, David R. Richards, Crillion Payne, Austin, Albert H. Kauffman, San Antonio, Toni Hunter, Kevin T. O'Hanlon, Austin, for appellees in No. C-1469. R. James George, Jr., Austin, Schuyler B. Marshall, Dallas, Thomas I. Davies, Richard L. Arnett, Austin, Roger Rice, Sommerville, Mass., Truman Dean, Jr., Houston, Martha P. Owen, Austin, E. Ray Hutchinson, Dallas, Mark S. Partin, Toni Hunter, Austin, Albert H. Kauffman, San Antonio, Lonnie Hollingsworth, Jr., Kevin T. O'Hanlon, Austin, for appellants in No. C-1477. David R. Richards, Crillion Payne, Austin, Jane Politz Brandt, Dallas, Hugh Lowe, Peter D. Kennedy, Austin, John H. Martin, Deborah G. Hankinson, Dallas, for appellees in No. C-1477. Schuyler B. Marshall, Deborah G. Hankinson, John H. Martin, G. Luke Ashley, Dallas, for appellants in No. C-1560. Jerry R. Hoodenpyle, Arlington, E. Ray Hutchinson, Dallas, Richard E. Gray, III, Crillion Payne, David R. Richards, Richard L. Arnett, Martha P. Owen, Austin, Albert H. Kauffman, San Antonio, Lonnie Hollingsworth, Jr., Kevin T. O'Hanlon, Toni Hunter, Austin, for appellees in No. C-1560. Hugh Lowe, Peter D. Kennedy, R. James George, Jr., Thomas I. Davies, Austin, for appellants in C-1493. David B. Owen, A. Bruce Wilson, Fort Worth, for appellees in No. C-1493. R. James George, Jr., Peter D. Kennedy, Hugh Lowe, Thomas I. Davies, Austin, for appellants in No. C-1544. Stephen H. Suttle, David L. Buhrmann, Abilene, for appellees in No. C-1544.

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Smart Summary

Factual and Procedural Background

This opinion arises from five consolidated direct appeals involving multiple independent school districts challenging the Texas public school finance system. The appeals were heard from several district courts across Texas, including the 250th District Court in Travis County, the 18th District Court in Somervell County, and the 32nd District Court in Mitchell County. The cases were consolidated for argument and disposition before the Supreme Court of Texas.

Legal Issues Presented

Whether the state public school finance system enacted by the 72nd Texas Legislature through Senate Bill 351, as amended by House Bill 2885, violates Article VIII, Section 1-e, of the Texas Constitution.
Whether the same finance system violates Article VII, Section 3, of the Texas Constitution.

Arguments of the Parties

The opinion does not contain a detailed account of the parties' legal arguments.

Table of Precedents Cited

No precedents were cited in the provided opinion.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The Court considered the original record, briefs, and oral arguments and concluded that the Texas public school finance system, as embodied in the legislative enactments (Senate Bill 351 and House Bill 2885), violates specific provisions of the Texas Constitution—namely Article VIII, Section 1-e, and Article VII, Section 3. The analysis focused on the constitutional compliance of the finance system rather than detailed factual findings or procedural issues.

Holding and Implications

Holding: The Supreme Court of Texas reversed the judgments of the district courts and remanded the cases for further proceedings consistent with the Court’s opinion. The Court ordered the re-issuance of a modified injunction related to the Edgewood case, stayed injunctive relief proceedings in certain district courts, and directed that appellants recover costs from the State of Texas.

Implications: This decision invalidates the challenged state public school finance system as unconstitutional under the Texas Constitution. The direct effect is to require the lower courts to proceed in accordance with the Supreme Court’s ruling and to maintain the injunction protecting the appellants’ interests. No new legal precedent beyond this ruling is explicitly established in the opinion.

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CARROLLTON-FARMERS BRANCH INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT et al., Appellants, v. EDGEWOOD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT and Al

JUDGMENT

GONZALEZ, Justice.

THE SUPREME COURT OF TEXAS, having heard this cause on five direct appeals which were consolidated for argument and disposition to wit: Cause No. D-1469, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District et al. v. Edgewood Independent School District et al., Cause No. D-1477, Andrews Independent School District et al. v. Edgewood Independent School District et al., and Cause No. D-1560, Highland Park Independent School District et al. v. Edgewood Independent School District et al., from the 250th District Court in Travis County, Texas; Cause No. D-1493, Dan McCarty and Charles Sanderson v. County Education District # 21, Amos G. Elder, and William H. Jones, from the 18th District Court in Somervell County, Texas; Cause No. D-1544, Eliodoro Reyes et al. v. Mitchell County Education District, Dwayne Harris, Robert Dale Finley and Warren Zant, from the 32nd District Court in Mitchell County, Texas; and the Court having considered the original record, briefs, and the argument of counsel, is of the opinion that the state public school finance system embodied in the enactment by the 72nd Legislature of Senate Bill 351, as amended by House Bill 2885, (Act of April 11, 1991, 72nd Leg., R.S., ch. 20, 1991 Tex.Gen.Laws 381, amended by Act of May 27, 1991, 72nd Leg., R.S., ch. 391, 1991 Tex.Gen.Laws 1475) violates article VIII, section 1-e, and article VII, section 3, of the Texas Constitution.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED, in accordance with the Court's opinion, that:

1) The judgments of the district courts in the above causes are reversed and remanded to the respective district courts for further proceedings in conformity with the opinion of this Court;

2) The Judge presiding in Cause No. 362,516-A, docketed in the 250th District Court, Travis County, Texas, re-issue the injunction previously issued in Edgewood I II, as modified by this Court's opinion;

3) The 18th District Court in Somervell County, and the 32nd District Court in Mitchell County are instructed that the proceedings in those courts for injunctive relief are stayed until further order of this Court;

4) Appellants, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District et al., Andrews Independent School District et al., Dan McCarty and Charles Sanderson, Eliodoro Reyes et al., and Highland Park Independent School District, Plano Independent School District, and Richardson Independent School District, shall recover from the State of Texas, which shall pay, the costs in this Court.

A copy of this judgment and of the Court's opinion is certified to the respective District Courts of Texas, for observance.