The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

School finance case goes to state supreme court

Even though this school district is considered to be one of the more wealthy districts in the area, the school and the students have seen the effects of the recent state cuts to education funding. AP Exams are no longer subsidized and cost more for students to take, some classes have fewer textbooks than they need, teachers have been laid off, and other problems unseen by the general population have arisen. Because of this, a lawsuit was filed in October 2011, against the state of Texas.

In the first round of litigation, a judge ruled in favor of the schools, stating that the current system of funding was inadequate to support sufficient public school education and was unconstitutional. The state appealed this decision and the case will be heard in the spring of 2014 by the state Supreme Court.

“The Supreme Court will not render a decision until spring of 2014 and it is likely the Governor will call a special session at that point to revamp the school funding mechanism,” superintendent Ted Moore said.

Since this case will not be decided for at least another year, it is frustrating to many school districts in need of more funds. The Lovejoy ISD is among more than a hundred of other school districts, rich and poor, that believe more funds are needed to properly educate students and give them adequate tools for learning. The lack of funding is evident in this district, with the costs of maintaining an exemplary school rating and providing equally for students rising, while budget cuts are draining nearly 3 million dollars from the district budget.

“Lovejoy ISD has not had any per pupil increase in funding since 2006 even though many of our costs have increased,” Moore said.

While the effects of a smaller budget won’t bankrupt the school district, it has had a detrimental effect on the school experiences of some students.

“Since there really aren’t enough AP Government books for everyone, I had to wait a few days to get my book from an Economics student that hadn’t turned it in on time and I got behind on homework,” senior Anisha Srivastava said.

Until the Supreme Court of Texas makes a decision, schools will have to make do with their current budgets even though the funding plan was ruled unconstitutional in the first round of the case. Because it was appealed, no changes will come until the matter is settled by the Supreme Court.

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Meridan Cavanaugh, Staff Reporter
In the beginning, Meridan Cavanaugh could not talk, walk, read or write. Now, sixteen years after her parents made up her unpronounceable name, she has overcome these obstacles and risen above her initial uselessness. A part of choir, theater and sometimes newspaper, she is involved in only the coolest programs of the school. She enjoys singing and playing piano, bass guitar, ukulele and harmonica, and will play the intro to Billy Joel's “Piano Man” for you until your ears bleed. Also, she is always listening to music from an alarmingly wide range of genres and is a condescending music snob. A cinephile from a very young age, she has vowed to watch every film on the “1000 Films to Change Your Life” list before she dies, which is a tall order for a mere mortal, but she, having gained immortality in a battle of wits with Socrates, will have no issue completing it. Some of her other life goals are to join the South African Extreme Ironing team, go to a Rage Against the Machine or Beastie Boys concert, and high five James Franco. Meridan moved here from Connecticut in eighth grade and while she misses trees, hills of any kind, and seasons, she has grown to love the people and low sales tax here.
Michael Berman, Photo Editor
  Michael Berman’s interest in photography began at the age of eight, shortly after his family moved to Fairview, Texas from his birthplace of Reading, England. He quickly progressed from a point-and-shoot camera to his first Nikon DSLR at the age of 10. Michael attended Sloan Creek Middle School where he contributed to the award winning Rosette yearbook.  In 2010 Michael won 4th place overall in the Middle School category of the Jostens’ National Yearbook Photo Contest. More recently, Michael placed 3rd in Sports Action photography in the National  Scholastic Press Association’s Best of Show competition at the 2012 Fall Convention. Since joining the Lovejoy High School Red Ledger as a Freshman, Michael has shot a wide variety of subjects but is best known for his captivating sports photography. When he’s not shooting, Michael enjoys discovering and listening to new music. His musical taste runs the gamut of styles, from Jazz and Classic Rock to Alternative and Hip Hop. He also enjoys running, soccer, skiing and spending time outdoors with his dog Zoe. In January 2013, Michael will travel to Costa Rica with Friends of Nosara, a non-profit organization that provides support and resources to the region’s public schools and the Escuelita de Nosara, a day camp for 200 local children.

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