Business leaders always talk about the difficulty in finding qualified workers. How far will they go to change things?

In the 1980s, Texas titan Ross Perot took a lead role in pushing for major reforms in public education. Business executives and lawmakers teamed up because literacy was declining and test scores were low. Their efforts led to more money for schools, higher pay for teachers, smaller classrooms and greater accountability.

“No-pass, no-play,” a rule that required athletes to post good grades to stay eligible, got much of the attention. But the bigger message was that Texas was serious about improving education.

By 1998, Texas ranked 24th in spending per enrolled student and was within 5 percentage points of the U.S. average. Last year, Texas ranked 43rd — and spent $3,000 less per student than the national mean.

In inflation-adjusted dollars, spending on students has fallen 13 percent in six years. That’s despite a strong increase in economically disadvantaged students, who generally need more help, not less.

State figures also show a decline in funding after adjusting for inflation. Since 2010, spending on pre-K to 12th grade has fallen by almost $3.6 billion in constant dollars. Over the same time, average daily attendance increased by 568,000.

The funding shortfall is often compounded by a school finance system that shifts funds from big districts to poorer ones.

“We’re rearranging the money around the state instead of just saying, ‘We’re not spending enough,’ ” said Scott McClelland, president of the Houston region for the H-E-B grocery chain. “Compared with the rest of the U.S., we’re not competitive.”

Over 70 percent of Texas students aren’t ready for college, based on benchmarks from standardized test scores. On the SAT exam, Texas averages on reading, writing and math ranked among the bottom five states. Texas also ranked next to last for adults with a high school diploma.

McClelland often cites another number. A few years ago, H-E-B rewrote its employee training manual to the fifth-grade level. Previously, it had been written at eighth-grade literacy.

“That’s heading in the wrong direction,” McClelland said.

San Antonio-based H-E-B has deep roots in Texas and a large footprint. It will stay committed to the state and keep investing in training. But other companies, nationwide and internationally, have other options.

“If they can’t find adequate employees in Texas, they’ll simply go elsewhere,” he said.

H-E-B has long pushed for improvements in education. McClelland cited new groups in Dallas and Houston that are promoting more early childhood learning. But Austin lawmakers remain a major challenge.

“They always say, ‘Spend smarter,’ ” said Bill Ratliff, a former Republican state senator and lieutenant governor who resigned from the Senate in 2003. “But we’re out of balance. They’ve been trying to make bricks without straw for at least the past 15 years.”

Texas takes great pride in being a low-tax state. And it’s one reason Texas regularly ranks among the best locations for business. In a 2015 report on taxes and company profitability, Texas ranked 10th-best in the nation, according to the Texas comptroller.

"Key takeaway: Texas businesses pay relatively low taxes, a fact that drives hiring, expansion and investment," the comptroller's website said.

In one measure of taxation, state tax revenue per $1,000 of personal income, Texas was 24 percent below the U.S. average. While that shows the state ranks low on certain tax burdens, it also reveals plenty of capacity for expansion.

Of course, there’s no political will for that. And Donald Trump’s presidential victory strengthens the instinct — already well-ingrained here — to shrink government and cut taxes further.

“During good times, they talk about tax cuts. During bad times, they talk about budget cuts,” said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University. “You can’t keep winning from the back of the pack.”

Yet Texas has managed to create one of the strongest economies in the world, even while shortchanging many social programs. In addition to lagging on education, Texas has the highest share of residents without health insurance.

Poverty is higher here than the U.S. average. Texas also ranks near the bottom in food insecurity, ahead of only Mississippi and Arkansas. Eighteen percent of Texas households lack the financial means to keep the refrigerator stocked, according to the comptroller's website.

“Despite our state’s wealth, we’re at the bottom of nearly every indicator of well-being,” said Ann Beeson, executive director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, an Austin firm that advocates for working people.

Texas’ fast-growing Hispanic population often needs more support to succeed. If Texas doesn’t invest adequately in people, schools and health care, how long can it remain a beacon for new companies?

“It is not a sustainable model for a pro-business state,” Beeson said.

The CEO of the Texas Association of Business, the state’s chamber of commerce, said the group would support more education funding, but only if there’s more accountability for schools. Too much money is wasted and too many students fall short, said Bill Hammond.

Business executives could rally to the cause again, as they did in the 1980s. That might be the only way to pressure lawmakers to loosen the purse strings.

“It’s asking a lot of the business community,” said SMU’s Jillson. “It’s really not their job, but there’s no one else who can do it in Texas.”