06:49 PM CDT on Monday, August 23, 2004

Associated Press

AUSTIN — The cost of educating bilingual students in Texas is drawing attention as hundreds of districts challenge the school finance system.

A finance expert says state adjustments still used to account for uncontrollable cost differences between districts were arbitrarily chosen by lawmakers 20 years ago.

The testimony came Monday in the third week of an Austin court challenge.

Paul Colbert says the percentages used to compensate for higher costs for bilingual students are a fraction of the recommended costs.

Later, Colbert testified that 58 of the 62 school districts that have been rated exemplary for the past three years - did not report having any bilingual students. Two of the remaining four had only one student.

Exemplary is the state's highest ranking. Colberg called the statistic - "startling."

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)