White Oak, New Diana Join Education Funding Fight

EAST TEXAS — Two more East Texas school districts have joined the ranks of those fighting the state for equitable education funding. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. White Oak and New Diana school boards decided this week to join the Equity Center’s lawsuit, which was filed Monday by the Texas Taxpayer and Student Fairness Coalition. The lawsuit claims that the state’s public school finance system doesn’t treat Texas children and schools fairly and equitably. School districts are seeking to change the state’s finance system to make it equitable.

“The leadership of the White Oak Independent School District corporately believes it is time to call for a change in this system,” Superintendent Mike Gilbert said in a news release. “It is not something that can wait until 2017, or longer.” White Oak is pledging $1 per its weighted average daily attendance – about $1,700 – to the cause. New Diana Superintendent Joyce Sloan said her school board is still deciding a dollar amount to contribute to the cause, but has pledged its support. “For a one-time fee of $1,700.00 (one dollar per weighted average daily attendance) this coalition will petition the state to develop a new funding system that fairly compensates all school districts in a way that allows for the provision of a world class education for all students,” Gilbert said.