The proponents of the steroid testing program in Texas are now worried because of the possibility that their initiative could be removed from the budget. The Texas Education Agency announced that they will be cutting down budgets for many programs at Texas High Schools. Of the $135 million budget cut proposal from the agency, $1 million of it will be deducted from the steroid testing program for high school athletes. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who sponsored the program in 2007, was not happy with the proposal.

Other lawmakers already questioned the efficiency of the program because of the small number of steroid positives in high schools. During the first year of implementation, only 11 students were found positive for steroids out of 29,000 student-athletes tested. One of the people opposing for the huge budgetary allocation for the said program is Sen. Chris Harris of Arlington. However, Dewhurst was able to defend his project last year but only got $2 million for school year 2010 and 2011.

Dewhurst still believes that the testing is an effective deterrent to high school athletes in taking any performance enhancing drug especially steroids. “Clearly our state’s mandatory, random testing program is working as a strong deterrent to keep our young people from using illegal steroids,” the Lt. Governor said. “I’m open to discussing adjustments to the program, but if any changes are made, they must not reduce the deterrent level we have established to protect the health and lives of young Texans,” he added.

Some of the Texas Education Agency’s suggested budget cuts include the Texas High School Initiative, a program which helps low performing students and grants for new science labs and textbooks. Teacher induction and mentoring program was also affected. The intensive summer program of 20 school district with at least 5,000 students each will definitely be affected. According to Assistant Superintendent Nate Carman of Pine Tree, the loss of the optional extended year means they will have to locally fund more of their summer school programs or reduce their services slightly. Although some schools were not bothered on the proposed cuts since they can source funds locally.

With regards to the steroid testing program’s budget, the agency said that there are potentially more effective drug use prevention programs which can be facilitated through alternative programs like the current steroid education. Director for extra curricular activities Pat Collins of Longview said that slashing the budget for steroid testing won’t have much impact on local schools. “If the state wanted to use the money more wisely, they should have been testing for street drugs at different schools. Steroids are very expensive and a lot of kids can’t afford them,” he said. According to the director, absence of steroid testing doesn’t mean that high school athletes will not be tested for other prohibited drugs anymore. There was even a plan in Longview to expand their random testing for student athletes which will include band and cheerleading.

An anti-steroid crusader was disappointed with the proposal. Don Hooton, who founded the Taylor Hooton Foundation, said that steroid education is not enough in high schools. “I’m disappointed because we’re losing a very important deterrent for the kids. We have been very disappointed that there are some in the state that have read the results of the testing as a determination that there’s not a steroid problem among the kids,” Hooton said. He said that basing their decision on the low turn out of steroid positives is a gross misreading of the results.

Football coach of Frisco Centennial was also surprised with the TEA’s proposal. “I’m surprised because there was such a big push for it.” coach Mark Howard said that the testing is not just a scare tactic but at the same time to bring to light what some kids could be doing and then getting them help. “There are always going to be kids who try it because they think it’s going to give them an edge. Our job is to tell them otherwise,” he said.

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