AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The state's chief accountant is putting a spotlight on rising debt in Texas school districts at a time when many are suing the state over funding.

A report released Thursday by Republican Comptroller Susan Combs says school district debt rose 155 percent in the past decade. The statewide total is now more than $63 billion.

The report comes as more than 600 school districts took the state to court this week. The lawsuit alleges that the school-finance system is so broke that students aren't being adequately educated.

Combs says the report's intent is transparency and not criticism. She says it includes best-practice examples that other districts can use to get more bang for their buck when using bond dollars to build new classrooms and buy new equipment.

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