Several Democratic lawmakers are joining parents, teachers and leaders from school districts around Texas for a march and rally at the state Capitol to decry $5.4 billion in education cuts approved by the Legislature last summer.

Some members of the state Board of Education have also promised to attend Saturday's demonstration, organized by the advocacy group Save Texas Schools.

The Legislature does not reconvene until January and Republican majorities control both houses. But Democrats have promised to nonetheless make increasing state spending on education a priority.

Texas' booming population means its public school enrolment increases an average of about 80,000 students per year.

That, plus the cuts, has seen Texas' spending per pupil fall for the first time since World War II, declining more than $500 since the last budget.