AUSTIN — State leaders who failed to reform public school finance — the big issue of the just-ended legislative session — promised Tuesday to keep trying.

But it's unclear what could prod them to fix a school funding and taxing system declared inadequate and unconstitutional by a state judge — unless it's a Texas Supreme Court ruling or the public outcry that Gov. Rick Perry suggests he's expecting.

"If there's a will, we can find a way," Perry said at a news conference with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick.

"If (lawmakers) don't want to work to finish the job, well, then I think ... they should make plans for a long and uncomfortable summer when they go home, when they meet with those constituents and they explain that they didn't act on education reform, property tax relief," Perry said.

Leaders said they'd rather not wait for the court to rule, calling it the Legislature's job to craft a school funding plan to replace the current system that relies heavily on local property taxes.

Dewhurst, who heads the Senate, said he's received mail and calls "saying get back to work and solve this."

Craddick, R-Midland, said he's sorry lawmakers couldn't come to agreement in the 140-day regular session, which followed a failed special session on the same subject last year.

"Everybody wishes they'd been able to go home and take property tax reductions and a change in the school system" including more accountability, Craddick said. "I think the public understands that it's a tough issue."

But, he said: "We haven't had a big outcry."

In San Antonio, the failure is at least cause for concern.

Cynthia Chatelain, a parent in the North East School District, said she has been concerned about her property taxes but would have liked to see lawmakers focus less on tax relief and more on issues such as relieving crowded schools.

"There isn't enough money for the schools to be able to provide for the children," she said. "If the property taxes were staying the same and the money was being better utilized, I'd be happy with that."

Wanda Rohm, owner of Presto Printing, counted it "a huge success" that lawmakers didn't pass a tax proposal she believes would have been too hard on businesses, part of an effort to raise state taxes to cut school property taxes.

"For the benefit of the state of Texas, I think nothing was accomplished," she added. "The one big thing they had to deal with was financing schools, and they didn't accomplish it."

Rohm is state chairwoman of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, but emphasized she was speaking only for herself, not the group.

Work on the tax-swap measure broke down over the House's desire to raise more money from the sales tax, which the Senate said would hurt consumers, and the Senate's desire to raise more from business, which the House said would hurt the economy.

Rohm said she'd support an increase in the sales tax and also is open to an idea that state leaders have made clear they won't embrace.

"The other thing is a state income tax, which is a dirty word in Texas," she said. "I hate to see my name in the paper saying yes (to that), but I think so. It's a more fair way, and we've got to learn how to make taxing people simple."

The Legislature "failed terribly" in meeting its mandate "to ensure that the school districts would have enough money to provide for the education of the children of the state of Texas," said Father Walter D'heedene, pastor of Sacred Heart Church on the near West Side and a leader of Communities Organized for Public Service and the Metro Alliance.

"We feel that the governor and the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the House have demonstrated an incapacity to lead," he said.

J.B Richeson, who taught for 31 years before retiring in 1999, also voiced concern over legislative priorities, saying lawmakers "never did discuss what I considered to be the real issue, and that's the inadequacy of school finance."

"They were discussing a very partisan agenda that mainly was focused on shifting the tax burden from one population to the other," said Richeson, executive vice president of the San Antonio Alliance teachers group.

One of the failed measures would have pumped up to $3 billion more into schools over the next two years. Richeson is among those who consider that amount inadequate.

Some lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, have raised an eyebrow over the failure occurring while the GOP holds all statewide offices and controls both the House and Senate.

"It's not a Republican issue. It's not a Democrat issue. It's how it affects your individual school district," Craddick said.

A legislator who didn't want to be identified said the problem came in part because of friction between Craddick and Dewhurst, describing it as a sort of macho contest between two strong-willed men.

Craddick said rumored animosity was "basically ... manufactured by others" and said each works to protect issues important to his chamber.

Dewhurst called Craddick a friend, adding that when they left the news conference, he told the speaker he'd been sincere about public remarks citing an improved working relationship since 2003.

"I said, 'Tommy, I meant what I said. I think this has been a smoother session in terms of working with Gov. Perry than it was two years ago and working with you ... With the exception of the last month, in which I wanted to kill you,'" Dewhurst said. "I was kidding."