THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 7. EDUCATION

THE PUBLIC FREE SCHOOLS

Sec. 3.  TAXES FOR BENEFIT OF SCHOOLS; PROVISION OF FREE TEXT BOOKS; SCHOOL DISTRICTS.  (a) One-fourth of the revenue derived from the State occupation taxes shall be set apart annually for the benefit of the public free schools.
(b)  It shall be the duty of the State Board of Education to set aside a sufficient amount of available funds to provide free text books for the use of children attending the public free schools of this State.
(c)  Should the taxation herein named be insufficient the deficit may be met by appropriation from the general funds of the State.
(d)  The Legislature may provide for the formation of school districts by general laws, and all such school districts may embrace parts of two or more counties.
(e)  The Legislature shall be authorized to pass laws for the assessment and collection of taxes in all school districts and for the management and control of the public school or schools of such districts, whether such districts are composed of territory wholly within a county or in parts of two or more counties, and the Legislature may authorize an additional ad valorem tax to be levied and collected within all school districts for the further maintenance of public free schools, and for the erection and equipment of school buildings therein; provided that a majority of the qualified voters of the district voting at an election to be held for that purpose, shall approve the tax.  
(Feb. 15, 1876. Amended Aug. 14, 1883, Nov. 3, 1908, Aug. 3, 1909, Nov. 5, 1918, Nov. 2, 1920, Nov. 2, 1926, and Nov. 2, 1999.)  (TEMPORARY TRANSITION PROVISIONS for Sec. 3: See Appendix, Note 1.)