NC legislative alert on CTE cuts for construction training

Vocational Education Funding Restored For Now: The House-Senate Education Subcommittee recently agreed to restore Career Technical Education cuts approved in the House-passed budget that would total $12,678,449 for the coming year, beginning July 1, and an additional $10,414,711 in 2010-11. Committee members cautioned that they were still about $100 million apart on where they needed to be for targeted cuts and that there is a long way to go in the budget process.

“This is still a work in progress,” said Sen. Richard Stevens, R-Wake, an education co-chair. “We are not yet in balance. We still have our work to do.”

Some of the unresolved education items, subcommittee members said, included cuts for NC Department of Public Instruction funding, about $35 million for in-state tuition increases for the UNC System and about $14 million for non-resident tuition increases. Sen. Dan Blue, D-Wake, said of the CTE cuts and other subcommittee recommendations not in controversy: “There is a sense of resolve for non-flagged items, but the stake can still be put in the ground.”

What All This Means: The numerous contacts made by CAGC and other CTE supporters have paid off so far, particularly those concerning these points:

The most recent figures for graduation rates show that in 2008, students who took CTE concentrations had a graduation rate of 86.5 percent, compared with an overall graduation rate of 70.3 percent.
The House budget plan – unlike the Senate budget plan, which preserves CTE funding – would cut CTE funding to the tune of $12.7 million for 2009-10 and $10.4 million for 2010-11.
These drastic cuts would mean the elimination of dozens of CTE teaching positions in areas such as construction trades like brick masonry, electrical, HVAC and plumbing work.
To help curb the dropout rate, provide students for successful careers and improve the state’s economy, CTE funding should be restored.

What You Need to Do Now: Thank the following education budget conferees for agreeing so far to restore the CTE cuts which, under the House plan, would be $12.7 million for 2009-10 and $10.4 million for 2010-11, for a total of $23,093,160 in CTE cuts.

The Senate Education Conferees to contact by simply clicking on their names are: Sens. A. B. Swindell, Tony Foriest; Richard Stevens, Don Vaughan, Joe Sam Queen, Dan Blue, Don Davis and Fletcher L. Hartsell, Jr.. The House Education Conferees to thank are: Representatives Rick Glazier, Ray Rapp, Marian N. McLawhorn, Larry M. Bell, Marvin W. Lucas, Earline W. Parmon, Cullie M. Tarleton and Laura I. Wiley. Again, please take the time ASAP to thank these legislators for restoring CTE teaching positions.

Other Key Budget Conferees to Contact as the Budget Process Continues About Preserving CTE Funds Are:

House Budget Conferees Chairs: Alma Adams, Martha B. Alexander, James W. Crawford, Jr., Pryor Gibson, R. Phillip Haire, Hugh Holliman, Maggie Jeffus, Paul Luebke, Mickey Michaux, Bill Owens, Joe P. Tolson, William L. Wainwright, Jennifer Weiss and Douglas Y. Yongue

Key Senate Members: Co-Chairs: Charles W. Albertson, Charlie Smith Dannelly and Linda Garrou. Others: Bob Atwater, Doug Berger, Stan Bingham, Julia Boseman, Daniel G. Clodfelter, Katie G. Dorsett, Steve Goss, Malcolm Graham, David W. Hoyle, Clark Jenkins, Ed Jones, Eleanor Kinnaird, Floyd B. McKissick, Jr., Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. William R. Purcell, Tony Rand, Larry Shaw, John Snow, R. C. Soles, Jr., Josh Stein and David F. Weinstein