Proposed budget cuts could have widespread fallout
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Other reductions, TEA officials noted, would have an indirect impact. TEA officials noted some of the offerings of these programs might be available in other programs.
Some of the TEA proposals for possible cuts or elimination of grant program funding include:
- Texas High School Initiative - High Schools That Work - Eliminates FY 2011 funding of $1 million, affecting approximately 10 high-risk campuses serving 17,000 students. These funds were budgeted to implement a strategy for improving students' college readiness through a rigorous career-focused curriculum.
- Texas High School Initiative - Intensive Summer Program - Eliminates FY 2011 funding of $4 million for approximately 20 districts serving 5,000 students.
- Math Instructional Coaches Pilot - Eliminates $4 million in FY 2011 funding for training 450 teachers serving 45,000 students.
- Middle School Physical Education and Fitness - Eliminates $10 million in FY 2011 mostly for equipment purchases and teacher development, impacting approximately 200 campuses.
- Science Lab Grant Program - Eliminates $25 million for the biennium for districts to fund science laboratories.
Similarly, one of the proposed cuts ($25,000 for each year of the biennium) by the Texas Veterans Commission is a program that provides transportation for veteran job seekers. "These funds are dedicated to assist veteran job seekers who are in need of transportation assistance to find or retain employment," wrote agency officials in their proposal. "A reduction in these funds would result in 500 veterans not receiving transportation assistance each year."
The Local Park Pass-Through grant program of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is also a possible place to cut, according to officials there. The $5.7 million in cuts would reduce the agency's ability to fund grants for local city and county parks.
Among the possible cuts for the Texas Forest Service is $1.3 million per year of the biennium in appropriations from Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Fund, Rural Volunteer Fire Department Insurance Fund and Urban Forestry License Plate Fund. "The ultimate impact is a reduction in the number of Volunteer Fire Departments able to purchase needed firefighting equipment to protect the citizens of Texas," Forest Service officials wrote of one of the programs in their proposal.
Possible cuts offered by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) include $100,000 for the biennium in the Nutrition Education program, which would reduce grants to early childhood education programs, including public schools, community organizations and faith-based organizations. More possible cuts were proposed for the Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program, which is a grant agreement with the Texas Food Bank Network. It would reduce the amount of surplus agricultural products delivered to food banks statewide. "Reduced funding would likely impact the number of meals served to elderly and disabled Texans by eligible organizations," wrote TDA officials.
Many community colleges, already taking up the slack in higher education with increased enrollments because of the economy and increasing tuition rates at four-year entities, outlined the disastrous effects deeper cuts would have on their mission and on taxpayers and students. Many offered that the only way to make up the additional cuts would likely be through tuition increases or tax hikes.
For Kilgore College, a 5 percent cut would mean the loss of more than $1.2 million for the biennium. College officials noted that expenditures related to the instructional cost elements already far exceed the college's state appropriations. "Any reduction of appropriation will impare (sic) the college's ability to maintain its current level of student instruction and support it provides," they wrote. "With expected continued enrollment growth over the 2010-2011 biennium, the college's cost for the instructional cost elements are expected to increase. To maintain appropriate levels of instructional activities it may be necessary to supplement the reduction of funds with local revenues through tuition and tax increases."
A like message came from Angelina College, where a 5 percent cut would mean $420,000 per year of the biennium. Officials wrote in their proposal regarding the possibility of increased tuition, "The good news is that most of the full-time, low-income students will not be greatly affected as Pell Grants increase, although they will have less money left for books and transportation expenses. The bad news is that an analysis of last fall's enrollment shows that 150-180 students (of lower middle incomes but just above needs-based eligibility) might be unable to attend higher education, even at our low costs, because of lack of available resources."
Northeast Texas Community College, too, would lose more than $200,000 per year of the biennium with a 5 percent decrease in state general revenue funds. College officials noted that they had seen a 19 percent increase for the fall semester and a 22 percent increase in the spring. "We already absorbed this huge enrollment increase without any additional state funds. Continued increases in tuition and fees will only serve to limit access to education for those most in need."
Among small agencies, the dollar amounts for 5 percent cuts don't seem high - some generally in the thousands of dollars. But in the case of an agency such as the Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners, a four-full-time-employee agency, the loss of $23,000 from an additional 5 percent decrease cuts deep. Officials there said such a cut would come primarily from a salary hiring freeze, minimally from postage reductions and moderately from board member travel. They noted a hiring freeze will impact the remaining three staff in that "they will have to assume reception, phone, license verification and certification, education audit, mail processing, inventory/property and application request functions. enforcement and operations/administrative functions" and "which will require staff to extend work hours (time) as necessary."
The Board of Professional Land Surveying would lose $46,000 for the biennium through a 5 percent cut. More than $3,500 of that is for travel expense to pay for travel reimbursements for meetings of the National Council of Examiners of Engineering and Surveying where 8 hours of the 16-hour exam required for registration is developed. "This is a national surveying exam, and Texas will lose their voice in its development if unable to attend," officials noted in their proposal for cuts.
To view a complete list of each agency's proposed areas for cuts, click here.
