STATE EDUCATION CUTS - A recent report out finds that Texas is one of 12 states that have made the deepest funding cuts to K-through-12 education over the past decade. That’s according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities which says Texas has cut general funding per student by 16 percent since the 2007-2008 school year. Mike Leachman is the Center’s director of state fiscal research, he says "All 12 of these states are still providing at least 7 percent less formula aid per student in the current school year than in 2008. Four of these states have cut formula funding per student by more than 15 percent - Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky and Alabama." A significant share of education funding for school districts comes from the state. Leachman says state budget cuts hurt not only students, but the local economy as well. ""As of September 2017,
local school districts had cut a total of 135,000 jobs since 2008. These job losses have reduced the purchasing power of workers' families, in turn reducing overall economic consumption and that has made the recovery take longer." Leachman says Texas is among a few states that have been hurt by falling oil prices -- giving state lawmakers less money to spend. The report shows Louisiana fared slightly better with spending less than 12.4%, Arkansas came out ahead as spending 2% more per student than it did in 2008.
