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Number Of Low Income Children In Texas Schools Is Rising
A state report shows an enrollment boom in Texas public schools and also an increase in the number of students from low-income families.
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AUSTIN (January 3, 2010)—Texas public schools are experiencing an enrollment boom and an increase in the number of students from low-income families, according to a state report.
Last year, poor children made up 57 percent of the state's enrollment, up from 48 percent during the 1998-99 academic year.
The Texas Education Agency report also says Texas' enrollment has grown 20 percent over the decade to 4.7 million students during the last school year.
Enrollment in all U.S. public schools increased 8.1 percent.
Sarah Winkler, president of the Texas Association of School Boards and an Alief school district trustee, told the San Antonio Express-News, "Economically disadvantaged students have needs. The cost of education is going to go up. Every student has to meet the same standards, and some of those students have never seen a book before."
Latest Comments
Posted by: What?
Location: Centex
on Jan 5, 2010 at 06:42 AM
Tell me again how the economy is recovering? This is the thing I cannot stand about the left. They will tell you that we are out of the woods economically, however, the number of families below the poverty line continues to swell. Unemployment rates continue to rise. They just assume everyone either has their head in the sand, or they are ignorant of the deception. Anyone that challenges the claims is called unpatriotic or worse. This nanny state crutch needs to be removed. People have an individual responsibility to better themselves. Save the whining about being disenfranchised or the system working against you. Stay in school, work hard, apply yourself. If you cannot afford college, enlist in one of the armed services. The new GI Bill will pay full tuition, plus an allowance for books and living expenses at any pulic state university. This would imply that you would have to work for something, but all things worth having involve effort, not a government handout.
Posted by: Rachel
Location: Temple
on Jan 4, 2010 at 09:48 PM
Gary, you obviously haven't set foot in a classroom in a long time - if ever. So here is something for you to chew on. The first year I taught in a local school district which had over 50% of its children on free/reduced lunch, I was given a 75.00 room budget to buy supplies for the entire year. It was a new school with nothing, and I spent 3000.00 dollars out of my own pocket so that these children could learn - that didn't include food for Thanksgiving, toys for Christmas, etc. because I loved them, etc. My take home pay that year was 1300.00 per month after taxes. Buddy, you need a real wake-up call and a corn cob in your mouth until you are a lot less ignorant about teachers and their situations. You just infuriate the living daylights out of me, because you are probably some rich idiot who can't see that the people we teach, love, and give to are your future employees.
Posted by: Watcher
Location: Central Texas
on Jan 4, 2010 at 07:26 PM
Let's get some perspective here. First of all, yes, people who live in Mexico and other third world countries do know poverty unlike anything many Americans have ever known. Kids from true poverty stricken countries take advantage of a free education and blow white kids and American minorities out of the water. Poverty is a state of mind in many cases in our country...people are given so much that they have no reason to provide for themselves. They sneeze wrong and think they can't hold a job. It does burn me up to be in Walmart and see someone whip out that Lone star card in one hand and hold a $300 cell in the other. But it does have to be changed with education...I let one of my kids from poverty read A Framework for Understanding Poverty. She was amazed. It helped her see that she wanted more than what was around her and she would work for it. Don't be hard on teachers who understand this and try to show their students that with education they can achieve and obtain independence.
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