Austin American Statesman

Texas' complicated school finance system is constitutional, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday — a surprise decision that handed a major defeat to the 600-plus school districts that sued the state more than four years ago.

The all-Republican court reversed a lower-court ruling that had sided with schools and called the funding set by the GOP-controlled Legislature in 2011 inadequate and unfairly distributed among the wealthy and poor parts of the state.

The decision ends a sweeping school finance case that was the largest of its kind in Texas history. Major legal battles over classroom funding have raged six times since 1984, but the latest decision by the high court's justices marks just the second time they've failed to find the system unconstitutional. It also means the Texas Legislature won't have to devise a new funding system.

14-0776 link to the opinion of the court, delivered by Justice Willett.

Here, from Texas Classrooms Teachers Association is information about the case that was created against the state in 2011. 

After weeks of shoring up support across the state, a group of Texas school districts united under the Texas Taxpayer & Student Fairness Coalition (TTSFC) filed suit against the state Oct. 11, 2011, challenging the constitutionality of the Texas school finance system. The coalition represents more than 200 districts from across the state, with more likely to sign on as the challenge progresses. Individuals representing taxpayers are also named as plaintiffs.

Glen Rose ISD was part of that lawsuit. Here are Wayne Rotan's remarks from the Tiger Tales newsletter of October 2012 

And here, from 2010, is a conversation in which Rotan explained "golden pennies" and the school financing system (pre lawsuit)