Ruby Arriaga
Texas Sen. Craig Estes (R-Dist. 30) won his election Tuesday night, promising to secure the goals of college students and those seeking a higher education.
Elizabeth White, legislative director for Estes, said during the 82nd legislative session that Estes voted in favor of Senate Bill 8 which returned local control of personnel matters to school districts, reducing salaries of school district’s employees, and imposes furloughs.
The goal is to get the power back to the universities and let them decide for themselves, what their budget needs to cover to improve colleges for the better.
White said, school administrators favored the bill, instead of teachers as a way to avoid cuts, because it results in a temporary unpaid leave of some employees.
“Additionally, school districts no longer have to employ teachers, who do not maintain their certifications and are no longer forced to terminate continuing contracts on a seniority basis,” White said.
This privilege has now been revoked to ensure the quality of teaching at universities.
“Prior to Senate Bill 8, Texas law imposed burdensome restrictions on school districts’ decision-making power in ways that ranged from requirements regarding personnel matters to mandates concerning school operation and resource allocation,” White said.
Estes also voted for budget cuts during the last legislative session. Education spending accounted for approximately 60 percent of the state’s entire budget in the previous biennium, while the budget shrunk. Although the amount spent on education increased from the previous biennium. For the first time funds could not cover enrollment growth.
“The legislature was facing a historic budget shortfall where cuts had to be made in order to balance the budget, as required by the Texas Constitution, without raising taxes,” Estes said.
Estes said he believes in education and that it is important for this state, especially since he was born and raised in Wichita Falls, Texas. College students are the next generation to enter the job market. The best scenario for students would be lower taxes and fewer regulations to keep chances open for a successful economic environment.