Philanthropists can get caught up in the process of collecting donations for natural disasters, like Hurricane Harvey victims. When raising money, the primary necessities come into mind; for example clothes, food, and shelter. A petition has been initiated to cancel the STAAR test this year and use the funds to rebuild schools affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Why take the funds from such a major assessment that many schools have adopted and a lot of students stress over each year? “The state’s latest agreement covers five years (2010-2015) and costs nearly half a billion dollars. For about $90 million per year, the State of Texas receives a battery of tests, and the top-to-bottom services those tests require.” This also includes the no child left behind the contract. A group of individuals has planned to propose a petition to the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, Senator Ted Cruz, and State Representative Ed Thompson. The purpose of their petition is to have the state of Texas allocate the funds for STAAR to go to the rebuilding of the school affected by Hurricane Harvey.  You can sign the petition @change.org STAAR testing and help secure our future education and not fret over this year’s test score.

“I think it would be great because we don’t need STAAR tests as much as the other’s need their school back to get to learning again,”  Sophomore Brooklyn Mahan said,

“I feel like it’d be a good idea and it’d break stress on a lot of students and they wouldn’t have as much stress on their shoulders. It would be for a better cause but I think those finals would have to be a little harder just so they know we’ve learned what we need to know,” Junior Jerome King said.

Brooklyn and Jerome have the same opinion on the topic, but Brian Griffin feels that there are alternative options.

“Eliminating the STAAR test could help assist those schools who were affected by Harvey. But there are other ways to assist without canceling a state test. For instance, the government will do its best to help in other ways by donations of clothing, sleeping arrangements, and money to be sent for the relief effort,” Brian Griffin said.