Texas education system in huge distress from lack of attention

By James Dargan     1/16/13 6:00pm

 

The 83rd Texas Legislature has officially convened in Austin with a bit of great news. Texas boasts an $8.8 billion surplus, thanks to a growing economy and the recent boom in natural gas production. That was welcome news to veteran lawmakers who, just two years ago, faced a $27 billion shortfall. Regrettably, the debate over how to spend that surplus may be equally as vicious as the debate over budget cuts that many students from Texas likely remember. 

There is no doubt that the Texas Legislature faced a daunting task of maintaining the state's financial order last session. The Texas State Constitution requires a balanced budget, leaving debt financing off the table. Gov. Rick Perry's opposition to using the Rainy Day Fund meant the entire shortfall had to be managed through budgeting. A recovering economy and the strength of conservatism made new taxes impractical. Legislators had to cut spending on virtually every function of the state government. 

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Perhaps the most controversial element of the budget cuts was made to education. Higher education funding was cut by $1 billion. Public K-12 education funding was cut by $5 billion. These cuts strained an already underfunded system. 

One does not need to believe simply spending more money is the solution to Texas' education problems to accept that spending cuts do real harm in the classroom. Less money means having fewer or older books. It means firing teachers and increasing class sizes. It means fewer extracurricular activities or special services. None of these consequences are desirable. It is the duty of Texas state legislators to provide adequate financial resources to schools, without which students are less able to succeed. Education is the only public service of the state government explicitly required by the state constitution. As such, this is where the surplus should be spent. 

Unfortunately, there seems to be a shocking lack of support for this notion. Perry has cautioned against spending the surplus while simultaneously supporting "tax relief." The Tea Party movement seems to have mixed education into a generic opposition to government spending. This should alarm Texans. Such positions are terribly misguided. 

First, education is an investment. Education enables individuals to get jobs. A better quality primary education increases the likelihood of success in college, which yields a higher paying job. The return on investment in higher education is widely recognized, yet the return on primary education investment is far greater. It is primary school that provides the foundation for a successful college education. Spending on primary education is not just another line in the budget to be slashed one year and then ignored the next. It is the central pillar of the Texas economy upon which all else relies. 

Second, education reduces the cost of welfare programs that are so despised in Texas politics. Once education is obtained, the individual is empowered to become a self-sufficient citizen with a decent job. Without a quality education, the individual is doomed to drain social services because he or she cannot obtain a job with sufficient pay to meet the cost of living, or worse, cannot find a job at all. If politicians really wanted to cut down on the cost of welfare programs, they would seek to improve education, not deprive it of funding. 

Third, tax rates are only relevant if a range of prerequisites is satisfied. A tax rate of zero will not attract businesses if Texas lacks a skilled workforce. Education is the means of building the skilled workforce employers are seeking. Technology and globalization have dramatically reduced the value of a simple high school diploma. A college degree is essential to obtain a decent job in the modern economy. Nevertheless, a high school diploma remains a crucial stepping stone toward that degree. Texas needs to be increasing its educational investment, not cutting it. Only if Texas improves its educational system will low tax rates remain relevant. 

Many Democrats are already calling for the surplus to be spent on education, but so far, they lack Republican support. This should not be a partisan issue. It is not even an ideological issue. I am a proud fiscal conservative (just ask the Rice Democrats), but education is worth investment. This is pretty common-sense. Current budget proposals leave much of the surplus unspent. But the last thing Texas needs is another fund like the Rainy Day Fund. Our education system is in distress now. 

It is time Texas state representatives look ahead to the changing dynamics of the economy and start respecting the importance of both primary and secondary education. Tell them to restore the education funding. 

James Dargan is a Wiess College sophomore. 

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