Texas classrooms could be hit hard by federal sequestration cuts 鈥� automatic, across-the-board cuts to federal programs that will go into effect on March 1 if Congress doesn鈥檛 pass a deficit reduction bill.
In Texas, the largest cuts would happen to public education, with $517 million dollars automatically cut according to the .
Ruben Longoria with the says the possible cuts are getting piled on an already underfunded system.
鈥淓specially in a state like Texas that recently cut $5.4 billion in state funds,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to be able to meet the demand that the state imposes on school districts to create a ready workforce or a student workforce that is college ready.鈥�
In a , the Austin Independent School District estimated that it would lose $4.8 million in federal funding.
Public education will not be the only area affected. Cuts in Texas will also be extended to higher education, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the defense industry. Stephen Fuller at George Mason University estimates a loss of about as a result of sequestration.
