Texas Schools

          Texas schools are no longer shielded from state budget cuts. Budget cuts are coming, and they are going to hurt. In Central Texas, school enrollments continue to grow. People are still moving here, and they are bringing their children with them. Legislative leaders have not said whether they plan to cover the $2 billion school districts are projected to need for new students. No decisions have been made about how to cut the state’s public education budget. One of the ideas being talked about is to eliminate $2 billion in grant programs from outside the foundation school program, which includes the $400 million teacher incentive program and more than $200 million for prekindergarten. The protective bubble that shielded public schools from the full force of Texas’ budget crisis has evaporated.