John Bogna
A recent report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities puts Texas on a top-four list not everyone may be thrilled to see the state make:
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Entitled “A Punishing Decade for School Funding,” the report shows Texas cut funding for K-12 education by roughly 16 percent per student since the 2007-2008 school year.
This is reportedly second only to Oklahoma’s 28.8 percent at the same rate.
RELATED: Texas universities forced to tighten their belts despite dodging budget cuts
According to KERA, the study focuses on the 12 states making the highest cuts in education funding.
“Four of [the 12] states have cut formula funding per student by more than 15 percent: Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky and Alabama.” Michael Leachman, one of the study’s authors, said in an interview.
The “formula funding” Leachman refers to is also known as general funding, and, according to the study, is the way states distribute money to school districts; he said it is known as “formula funding” because each state uses their own formula to calculate what goes where.
For example, Texas relies in significant part by property taxes for education funding.
Since, according to the study, funding for education is largely borne by the state, cuts in state budgets often mean cuts to education.
According to KERA, post-recession tax cuts may also be a factor in reducing state income.
The SALT deduction including, state & local income or sales taxes & property taxes, are imperative for states to help fund schools. Even if #GOPTaxPlan keeps some it in place, the plan harms taxpayers.
How much in your state? https://t.co/mdNvn5EDHk pic.twitter.com/J38dSzIftb
— Center on Budget (@CenterOnBudget) November 30, 2017
Those cuts could mean lost jobs, which, in turn, could mean lost purchasing power for families and individuals, ultimately potentially amounting to less money flowing into the economy, according to Leachman.
“These job losses have reduced the purchasing power of workers families, in turn reducing overall economic consumption and that has made the recovery take longer,” he said further in the interview.
RELATED: The state budget isn’t as Texas-sized these days
