Courtney Mahaffey

109 Woodview Ct
Burleson, TX 76028

Phone: (817)781-2809 Email: courtney_mahaffey@yahoo.com

September 26, 2016

Office of the Governor

P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428

ATTENTION: Mr. Greg Abbott

Texas has an established reputation for holding education in high esteem. For as long as anyone
can remember, we have counted on that reliability. However, recent changes have the left the
student population confused and neglected.
Next years operating budget for all state colleges has been cut by 20 percent. Such a budget cut
will adversely affect these colleges. There will be a drastic reduction in admissions, financial aid,
and new programs. This cut will cause the firing of young and popular faculty members. Which
in turn, could lead to an even bigger drop in admissions and scores. All of the above have the
proper punch to wreck college moral.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has been quoted saying, If we dont work together to
solve this problem, it further erodes what little faith remains in our elected leadership to put
partisan politics aside and do the right thing for children and families. Duncan pointed out that

in a recent poll 80 percent of school administrators said they would be unable to replace the lost
federal funds with state and local money.
That number is too staggering to ignore. Four out of five schools without proper funding is a
scary thought. There needs to be a major adjustment in the proposed budget. Nearly half of a
school districts funding comes from the state.
Please consider the cause and effect of such drastic cuts, as they undermine reform initiatives
many states are undertaking with the encouragement from the federal government.
Yours truly,

Courtney Mahaffey