In case 18, the issue was whether the way Texas public schools were financed violated the Texas Constitution. The plaintiffs in the case argued that the state's school funding system, which relied heavily on local property taxes, resulted in significant disparities in funding between wealthier and poorer school districts, leading to inequitable educational opportunities for students. The Texas Constitution guarantees a "general diffusion of knowledge" and the plaintiffs contended that the funding system failed to provide a substantially equal opportunity for all students to receive a quality education. Ultimately, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, declaring the state's school finance system unconstitutional.
