Proposed Budget Cuts Would Close Odessa College

A preliminary budget draft in the house calls for the closure of Odessa College in an effort to slash millions of dollars in spending.

Odessa College is one of four Texas schools that would be closed to save $39 Million based on a preliminary budget plan.

Brazosport College in Lake Jackson, Frank Phillips College in
Borger, Odessa College and Ranger College would be closed under a
plan to slash $145 million in state funding for Texas community and
junior colleges.

Those cuts are in a draft spending plan released Tuesday by
House lawmakers.

CBS 7 spoke with local lawmaker, Tryon Lewis tonight about the proposed closure of OC.

Representative Lewis of District 81 stressed how important Odessa College is to the community and how early the budget is in the process.

He says the house still has plenty of work to do on this budget bill and Lewis expects to see many changes.

Other major cuts were also proposed tonight including:

- $2.3 Billion in state general revenue funds from Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and other health and human services

- Texas public schools' budgets would be cut by $5 billion including a cut to arts education, teacher incentive pay
and money for schools to administer steroid testing.

- Texas colleges and universities would be cut by $771.6 million in the first draft of the next two-year state
budget. Those cuts include the Texas A&M and UT systems.

The budget will be discussed further on Wednesday.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Odessa
• College
• Brazosport
• Lake
• Jackson
• Frank
• Phillips
• Borger
• Ranger
• State
• Funding
• Closure