Multiple US States Get Educational Budget Cuts, Spark Protests

A scary scenario, but not one coming out of a horror movie: Education leaders in various states are facing budget cuts in the educational sector. This means that there is a large possibility that multiple programs will be cut or underfunded in the following school semesters.

Boards from states such as Oklahoma, Maryland, and Illinois have had multiple discussions about educational programs they should cut in light of this recent development. Reports from KFOR state that efforts are being done to keep the most important and helpful of the educational programs up, running, and flourishing.

For example, Oklahoma's SoonerStart program is being vouched for because it helps numerous kids with developmental disorders. These children are helped from birth up until the age of 3, which is really big assistance for the kids and their parents. However, the physical education programs of multiple schools are at risk of being cut, with the swimming program from Baltimore schools at high risk.

According to reports from the Baltimore Sun, Maryland has decided to reduce its budget for the 2016 to 2017 school year because they "find themselves $20 million in the hole on the revenue side." The reductions will reportedly target tuition reimbursements as well as instructional materials. Harford County Public Schools are also considering cutting 32 full-time positions.

The problem with cutting these positions is that 23 of them are teaching positions. Although a sizeable portion of the 32 positions is vacant there could be a possibility that this cut leaves schools in the area understaffed. On the other hand, it would save up to $1.9 million.

Protests regarding the budget cut have broken out in the aforementioned states, among others. Progress Illinois reports that some of the school led protests have caused people in charge to make quite a few controversial comments such as Gov. Bruce Rauner calling some Chicago public schools "crumbling prisons."