HOUSTON – Houston-area school districts could take a serious hit when state budget cuts are finalized.
And that’s left parents, teachers and administrators with plenty to worry about.
Teresa Sazedi, a Stafford resident whose autistic son is in a special education program at school, is particularly troubled by the cuts.
They could put her son’s program in jeopardy.
"It is very troubling to me," Sazedi said. "I don’t know that this year he will receive the same education that he will receive next year."
The first draft of the state’s proposed budget slashes $5 billion from public education.
Texas school districts already hit hard by budget woes say the cuts would be devastating.
HISD estimates that they would suffer a $348-million loss next year alone.
Cy-Fair ISD could lose up $80 million, and Clear Creek ISD could see a $40-million loss.
That means the districts have difficult choices to make: They can lay teachers off, scale back after-school and extracurricular activities or drastically cut back programs.
"If we’re going to have the significant reduction that’s on the table right now, then I think there’s going to be some fundamental ways public education is delivered. And some things, in most cases, communities are not going to be happy with," Stafford ISD Superintendent H.D. Chambers said.
"We did hear at one point in time that the doors of the State of Texas were open for business. For public schools, those doors will soon be closing," State Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Houston) said.
