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Friday, September 10,1993 The Battalion Page 3
SAT scores in Texas drop 4 percent
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Despite a 73 percent increase
in public school spending in the past 20 years, Texas
taxpayers aren't getting more bang for their educa
tion buck, says a new report card on American
schools.
Average SAT scores in Texas dropped 4 percent
from 1972 to 1993, the National Center for Education
Information said in a national report prepared for
the American Legislative Exchange Council and Em
power America.
ALEC is a private, bipartisan group of state legis
lators. Empower America is a conservative think
tank headed by former Education Secretary William
Bennett.
"You don't spend your way to education achieve
ment," Bennett said.
While Texas spent an average of $4,831 per pupil
last year — up from the $2,797 spent 20 years ago
when adjusted for inflation — the increased spend
ing hasn't resulted in significant improvements in
student performance, the study said.
The Texas trends were mirrored nationwide,
where education spending was up 62 percent with
out corresponding increases in college entrance ex
amination scores, high school graduation rates and
8th grade math proficiency scores.
Texas ranked 37th last year in per pupil expendi
tures, spending on average $4,831 per pupil com
pared to the $5,598 national average.
When ranked by Scholastic Aptitude Test scores,
Texas was 42nd among states and the District of Co
lumbia this year — with a combined 885 score com
pared to a national average of 902.
Spokesmen for the Texas Education Agency
didn't immediately return telephone calls Thursday.
The state ranking was a slight improvement over
its 46th place posted in 1992 and the 45th place of the
year before. But the cumulative average posted by
Texas students has dropped from 921 in 1972 to 885
this year.
Empower America and ALEC suggested that a
shift in budget priorities away from the classroom
may be to blame nationally and in Texas as well.
Where 54 percent of Texas school spending was
devoted to teacher salaries in 1972, that rate had
dropped to 42 percent last year. Texas ranked 35th in
teacher salaries last year with a $29,935 average —
compared $35,334 nationally.
State News Briefs
Residents petition to allow
Stephenville alcohol sales
FORT WORTH (AP) — Two Stephenville men
may be closer in their campaign to legalize alcohol
sales in their community.
Evan Arendell and Cleve Cole's corporation,
START, submitted a petition with 730 signatures
last week to County Clerk Nelda requesting that
commissioners call an election in October propos
ing legalized sale of alcoholic beverages.
Arendell and Cole formed START or
Stephenville Taxpayers Against Runaway Taxes, in
February 1992.
START needed 657 signatures, or 35 percent of
the 1,876 Stephenville residents who voted in last
year's mayoral election, to force the election.
Commissioners will meet Monday and have 20
to 30 days to call the election if the signatures are
declared valid. County Judge Bill Hailey said.
Arendell, a 29-year-old graduate student in his
tory, said the idea for START stemmed from a din
ner discussion with Cole about high taxes.
Nuclear power plant not
a hazard, regulators say
AUSTIN (AP) — Serious problems beset the
South Texas nuclear power plant before it was shut
down, but the troubles did not pose an immediate
threat to the public, federal regulators said Thurs
day.
The twin-unit plant located near Bay City has
been idle since February, fined $500,000 and placed
on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's list of
five plants nationwide that need additional scruti
ny/
The plant is owned by Houston Lighting and
Power, Central Power & Light, and the cities of San
Antonio and Austin.
John Montgomery, deputy administrator for the
NRC regional office in Arlington, told the state
Public Utility Commission that the plant's equip
ment and management problems did not place the
public in danger.
But, he said, they were "examples of what T will
call reductions in safety margins."
Regulators found at the plant numerous equip
ment, maintenance and repair mistakes.
AIDS materials inaccurate.
Board of Education says
AUSTIN (AP) — State Board of Education
Chairwoman Carolyn Crawford said Thursday
that state-developed AlDS-prevention materials
contain inaccuracies and should be recalled from
schools or destroyed.
She said she thought Texas Education Commis
sioner Lionel "Skip" Meno would take some action
before the board in November votes on whether to
make revised AIDS-prevcntion information avail
able to schools.
Meno said he may notify school districts that
the issue is under discussion. ** ?► -
But he said the districts are aware of the situa
tion and will make decisions locally about using
the materials.
They were developed for optional use by school
districts, which are required to have AIDS educa
tion.
"I think that we can indicate to people that they
may wish to ... dispose of it," Meno said.
"They can make their own decisions about how
they're going to utilize the materials that are out
there."
The materials were developed after some school
district officials complained that information avail
able about acquired immune deficiency syndrome
was expensive and not high-quality, Meno said.
It's NOT too late to join
The Fightin' Texas Aggie
Corps of Cadets
aTm
■ Keepers of the Tradition
■ Leadership Training
■ Scholarship and Career Opportunities
For more information contact:
Capt David Onaka, Air Force ROTC
(409) 845-7611
If you own a computer,
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Present this ad for a i
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DANCE
LESSONS
Texas Hall Of Fame
Beginning Country 8c Western
Wed. Sept 15, 22, 29, Oct 6, 13 6pm
Wed. Sept 15, 22, 29, Oct 6, 13 7:30pm
$20/student $25/nonstudent
Advanced Country 8c Western
Wed. Oct 20, 25, Nov 3, 10, 17 6pm
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Jitterbug
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Wed. Oct 20, 25, Nov 3, 10, 17 7:30pm
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Ballroom Dance
Tues. Sept 28, Oct 5, 12, 19, 26 6pm
$18/student $23/nonstudent
This class meets at CS High School
Register NOW
in the University PLUS Craft Center
MSC Basement Level
845-1631
WE BUY USED
CD'S FOR
$4.00 or trade 2 for 1
USED CD'S
$8.99 or LESS
268-0154
(At Northgate)
Tauber and Cross Streets
College Station, TX
846-5011
Morning Worship:
Sundays, 8:30 and 10:45
Congregation at Study:
Sundays, 9:35 a.m.
An ELCA Ministry
Supporting Aggie Lutherans
COLtSOE STATION. TCSA3
A little of the old
A little of the new
THE COW HOP
is still here serving you...
Bigger and Better
at our new location!
317 College Ave.
(in the Albertsons Shopping Center)
846-0532
$1.75 pitcher of beer
(special)
Pool Tables, Video Games,
Big Screen T.V.!
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