The Cat's Out of the Bag

Rumor upon rumor upon rumor has spread like a vicious virus infecting the normal routine of the West Texas State School. How would I know of a thing? Because darlin', it's where I work, but not for long. We had a feeling a couple of years ago that something Wicked this way was coming for us West Texans and it's called budget cuts. Last year, right after Spring Break the state redirected half our student population to other state facilities causing a ripple effect of job lay offs.

At the end of this year, the transformer blew in the education building on campus leaving teachers and students in the dark and without heat during some of the coldest days of 2009. The state decided they wouldn't fix the problem and left us in the cold. We eventually found space in old warehouses and moved our belongings and continued to hold school despite the harsh and unfriendly conditions. We took this as a sign that our days were numbered.

Today, that sign has become a full blown slap to the face. Cherie Townsend, in an attempt to meet state government's demands for a 5% budget cut within all state entities, has proposed the early closing of the school. This closing is slated for April 2nd. We were assured over and over and over again that the school wouldn't be closing until the end of August. That we'd have our jobs until the end of August. That the students that we've been so dedicated to for the past couple years would be with us to TAKS test and GED test, but now that promise has been broken.

Yes, I agree with the man in the green suit and patriot tie on the CBS News when he states that West Texans are considered step children that no body likes when it comes to making decisions for the entire state. We are usually abandoned and left to fend for ourselves. Oh well, it's not the first time and I'm certain it won't be the last.