Fiscal Cliff Would Mean Cuts to Local Schools
Lockers at Reagan High School in Austin. AISD could stand to lose more than $2 million in federal grants if sequestration cuts are enacted. Photo by Nathan Bernier, KUT News.Texas would lose about eight percent of its federal education funding if Washington can’t reach a compromise to avoid the package of spending cuts and tax increases contained in the “fiscal cliff.” Most of that money pays for programs to help children from low income families and to help students with disabilities.
Texas’ share of those so-called Title I and IDEA grants would be cut by $174 million, according to Texas Education Agency estimates. In a school district like Austin’s – where almost two out of three students are economically disadvantaged – federal grants would be cut by more than $2 million. You can see an estimate of your school district’s cuts by checking this TEA document.
“I think districts would find this level of cuts very difficult,” says TEA spokesperson Debbie Ratcliffe. “They would deal with it, but they would be having to make some really hard choices.”
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said if those cuts do take effect, it wouldn’t be until next school year.
