Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Letter to the editor - June 27

Education funding needs more sources

Educators statewide appreciate the hard work and success of the oil and gas workers that help fund our K-12 schools and higher education, too. Unfortunately, this has also had negative consequences for students as school funding has risen and fallen along with that industry's fortunes.

For educators, relying on extractive industries has deeper problems than the instability it brings. Making matters worse, as the world reduces its burning of fossil fuels, this means a long-term decline of oil and gas businesses that will drag down state revenues, leaving our students even further behind.

Most states with higher rated education systems have no oil and gas revenues, so the source of funding has nothing to do with education outcomes. States without extractive industries have found other ways to fund their schools. We can and must do the same.

If we do not see the road ahead, we risk no longer having a funding source for our state's public schools.

Geni Flores

Portales

 
 
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