4X4 plan bringing classes, budget woes

BURNET, Texas (KXAN) - Students heading into their senior year at Burnet High School have to not only deal with applying to college this Fall, but a curriculum change.

Under the Texas State Board of Education's recently approved 4X4 plan, they're now required to take a fourth year science class.

Student Aaron Thomas said he's ready to take on the challenge.

"I don't want to slack off one year and not be ready for college," said Thomas.  "College will be the same workload."

Statewide, students aren't the only ones stressed out over the increasing course-load.

In schools across the region, the issue is also putting a strain on faculty resources.

Before students can start coming in and utilizing the school's science labs, school administrators have to figure out how they're going to fund new faculty and all of the supplies they'll need."

"There's no money coming from the State, this will all come from local dollars," Spinn explained.

Spinn told KXAN he's hoping growth will lead to a bigger tax base--closing the book on the problem.

"I'm pretty optimistic about that and that's just not on a pipe dream, that is looking at numbers," Spinn added.

The numbers, however, are speculative.

Should they not come to fruition, Spinn will have no choice but to squeeze money out of an already tight budget.

"Where do you find the money? It's a challenge. You just do what you got to do," Spinn said.

Spinn's seeing the change as an equation with many variables.

Until he can fill in the unknowns--like what courses the state will approve --there will be no solving the problem of how many teachers will need to be hired and what supplies will be needed.