The Texas Foundation School Program, popularly known as the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP), is a very complex approach to school finance. It provides basic assistance in three areas--minimum salaries, operating allowances, and transportation--and additional assistance in two others--vocational education and special education. The state pays…

The current system of school finance in Texas allows for gross inequities among districts. Statistics indicate that although Texas ranks slightly higher than the nation's average in state wealth, its support of schools, as measured by the percentage of personal income devoted to education, ranks about 35th. These figures suggest that the state…