School Superintendents Say Education Will Suffer if School Funds are Cut
The Texas Legislature has passed a new state budget that cuts, among other things, $4 billion dollars out of funding for the state's public schools. School Superintendents around the state say that's a recipe for educational disaster.
One option state lawmakers are considering would cut school funding by six percent statewide. In Lufkin, that's a $3.4 million dollar cut. In Hudson, it's $1.3 million. In Huntington, it's $659,000 and in Zavalla, it's $300,000.
Lufkin Superintendent Roy Knight says until he gets firm figures to work with, he’s using last year’s budget to draw up this year’s budget.
Hudson Superintendent Mary Ann Whiteker says she’s worried about what cuts of this magnitude could do to public education. “It’s really a pretty big unknown,” Whiteker said.
Zavalla Superintendent David Flowers says “It’s like putting a Band-Aid on an arm that’s been cut off. What are they going to do down the road?"
Huntington Superintendent Eric Wright says he doesn't think state lawmakers care about children in the state of Texas. "They care about the lobbyists and big businesses they are trying to please."
Superintendents and local school officials say in his zeal to balance the budget and continue attracting new business to the state, Governor Rick Perry would do well to remember that the quality of the public schools is a major consideration for businesses thinking of expanding into Texas.
The local officials say Perry should give some thought to what these out-of-state companies will think about Texas public schools after these massive funding cuts have done their damage.
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