First They Came for Medicaid Then They Came for Public Education (TX)

November 24, 2010

School districts are being told they should expect to get anestimated $3 billion to $5 billion less in the next two-year budget aslawmakers begin wrestling with a $24 billion revenue shortfall in January.

That could mean less money for prekindergarten classes, teacher incentivegrants and tutoring for students struggling to pass the states standardizedtests.

And the state, in a highly unusual move, could also take a chunk out of the $37billion Foundation School Program, which provides the direct per-student stateaid to school districts.

Going into the Foundation Program at this point ought to be a glaring redflashing warning about how serious this problem is, said state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, who brought in a school finance expert on Tuesday to meet withseveral area school dis trict representatives about the looming cuts.

Legislative leaders, who have vowed to close the budget shortfall withoutraising taxes, have not said whether they plan to cover the $2 billion schooldistricts are projected to need for new students.

Senate Finance Chairman Steve Ogden , R-Bryan, said no decisions have been madeabout how to cut the states public education budget.

But one of the ideas being kicked around is to eliminate $2 billion in grantprograms from outside the Foundation School Program, which includes the $400million teacher incentive program and more than $200 million forprekindergarten.

No one is eager to raise local property taxes to make up for losing staterevenue, said Mark Williams , president of the Austin Independent SchoolDistrict Board of Trustees.

Were getting to the point now that we will have to impact classrooms, Williamssaid.

Remember, our Republican leaders have never gotten school finance right.When student performance suffers, and the dropout rate goes up again, and thestate falls farther behind the rest of the country, youll know who caused it. Hair Balls has more.