Proposed Texas budget cuts may eliminate Pre-K programs

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EL PASO — Finger paintings hang alongside the wall, number lines run along the perimeter of the pre-kindergarten classroom, and the alphabet is displayed for the children’s eager eyes. The Ysleta Pre-Kindergarten Center located at 7940 Craddock Ave El Paso, Texas 79915 is just one of the many Pre-K establishments for children to begin their education. “In our campus we have a total 725 students and about 100 employees,” said Principal Sandra Perez-Ibarra. Pre-kindergarten programs, however, may soon be the victims of cuts in the Texas state budget.  This session, lawmakers will approve a budget for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (Sept.

Proposed Texas education cuts imperil Latino students’ future

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Impending massive budget reductions in flat-broke Texas are about to slam education’s door on its Latino youth, who at 2.34 million now comprise about half of its public school students. Experts and community advocates across the state agree on the danger it portents to the state’s economic future as well. Once among the nation’s wealthiest, the Lone Star State has become the Loan Starved State. It is grappling with a budget shortfall somewhere between $15 billion and $27 billion. The proposed solution by Gov. Rick Perry, with traction offered by conservatives within the GOP-controlled legislature, targets the schools.