Education funding still falls short despite federal stimulus infusion - Pittsburgh Business Times:

oryucyjofec1482.blogspot.com
That was the sentiment of an eight-membedr panel of education, training and government expertd gathered by the South Florida Business Journal to examine howthe $787 billion federal stimulus package is impacting the region’ education and workforce traininbg sectors. The panel marked the thirr in theBusiness Journal’s ongoing stimulus aimed at tracking and analyzing the flow of money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into South Florida. Florida’s Legislature was the only one nationally to request a federal waiver that allowed it to take moneyt from education and replace it with stimulus dollars whiler other states used stimulus dollars to augmentthe budget.
The situationh concerned paneliststate Sen. Eleanor “We are not starting at the starting The school district in Broward County and those throughout the state are startinh behind thestarting line,” Sobel said. “Theu have had problems for yeard and they areall scrambling.” Veteran educator Robert Parks, a member of the Broward Counth School Board, said, “Many of the large urban districtsx in the nation are afraid of one which is basically a bait and switch with thoses dollars.” What’s even more worrisomre to some experts is that the stimulus money will eventually run out.
“I’nm really concerned about in thre years; what’s going to happen?” said José Vicente, presidenr of ’s North Campus. “This is a Band-Aid.” He said the college’s operating budget was cut $22 million while the stimulu money wasonly $13 million. Parks said Browarfd County’s school system has cut $1.4 billiob from its construction budget in addition to furloughinhg 700 teachers and51 administrators. “We’ve closed all of our school offices forthe summer. We don’t have summer school Parks said. would have been lookingv at cutting its budget byabouft $30 million without $12 million in stimulus said Dorothy K.
Russell, the university’s associate VP for financial affairs andbudget director. The university cut 30 positionesand “had we not had the stimulusw dollars it could have been much more severe.” Georgre Hanbury, executive VP and COO of , said the $1.3 billiobn in stimulus funds given to the state relieveed pressure on the Legislature to furthe r reduce support for Florida Resident Accesss Grants (FRAG), a key source of moneu for students, but he pointed out that the grants used to be $3,00 a year for students and are now The amount is important to students, who find enrollment caps at stated universities and turn to NSU and other private institutions.
He also said that universities are working togethedr to apply for federalstimulusw funding. NSU has a collaborative proposapl with and FAU fora $50 million research building with wet labs, businese incubator space and office s for the U.S. Geological which is helping overseeEverglades “We have shovel-ready projects we have submitted to the Governorr and in the next 60 days we could put 1,009 people to work,” Hanbury said. The competition for thesde typesof projects, is fierce. FAU is getting abourt $12 million in direct infusion from the federastimulus package, but the university also is seeking money from the for labs and Russell said.
April was the monthg to submit applications and the results are expected by The strongest flowof money, so far, appearas to be for programs that help the jobless as the state’sa unemployment rate has hit 10.2 Mason Jackson, president and CEO of job agencuy in Broward County, has seen his budget go from $19 milliomn to $31 million, which has tripled traininb programs and led to the first summer jobs prograkm in more than a decade. That’s allowintg training efforts, such as teaching 60 peopl e how to create greenerIT networks, he said. “Thoss databases are sucking down huge amounts of kilowattas aroundthe country.
” Another example of training is the handicappedd learning about the culinary arts. Jackson said there is abundant opportunity for the unemployed to get vouchers that can be used in publif or private schools if they are pursuingy jobs that the state sees as in The big caveat is unemployment number s need to stop dropping so grads can put their new knowledgeto work. “Yes, we have a lot of trainint money, but there needs to be jobs out Jackson said. He pointed out how press releasews about stimulus job creation always use the terminologu of saved andcreated jobs. “People are coming to me and ‘Where are all the jobs in the stimulus package?
Well, a lot of thosr are avoiding layoffs,” Jackson said. Some stimulus money will have an offshoo benefitfor education. has a new bachelor’s progra m in health care technology records that fits with the push for electronivcmedical records, said Gery vice chancellor of academic “We are creating a workforce that is ready to come in and sustaij that.” Keiser also is seeing people with 15 to 20 yearse of work experience come back to pursue he said. For example, some of them don’t have a degrese in their field “and they realizefd without a degreethey won’t get Palm Beach County received about $10.
2 millionm stimulus dollars for four to five major programs, includinhg in the areas of health and science, said Rick program director of the American Recovery and Reinvestmeny Act effort at the in Palm Beachg County. Hemming said he just endex a discussion with Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center about certification for adozen nurses, a sign of continuef growth in the health care Broward schools’ Parks pointed out that, in addition to more than 250,000p kindergarten-through-twelfth graders, the district has 125,00p adult learners. Health care is a growth he said, but so are fields like high-tecjh automotive technicians.
“Contrary to what is there is a need forthose individuals,” Parksa said, adding that the jobs have soli starting salaries. Jackson said Workforcs One leaders have to be diligent about utilizing labor market information and talking to colleges and economix development groups about whether statistics accurately portray the need for particulartraining programs. In the Jackson said, airlines such as Eastern wereshuttingf down, but training programs were still churning out would-be flighrt attendants. “We were up to our hips in he said.
A new stats project involving the ConferenceBoard – known for its consume r confidence study nationally – is gathering information from onlinw help wanted ads to help figure out what traininf programs are needed. “That’s going to be valuable for us becausr we can get it right down to the individualoemployer level,” Jackson said. Right now, Floridas accesses this informationby industry. More detailed job Jackson said, will help with logisticall challenges in figuring out whose successfully biddingon shovel-readhy projects and when they are hiring.
The hope is that the jobs that are beinyg created will provide a solid foundation forthe state’xs economic future, which has an overabundance of low payinv service jobs. “We need highe r paid, skilled workers in this state because wehave lower-paird workers that can’t pay taxes,” state Sen. Sobelp said. Florida ranks last amonfg the 50 states and the District of Columbiaz in educational fundingfor K-12. Sobel said the challenge is “how do we improve education becausewe don’ have people paying taxes. It’s a vicious THE DETAILS: State Fiscal Stabilization Fundshovels $53.
6 billion to state and schoopl district coffers nationwide to thwart massive budge cuts and teacher layoffs. It also awards innovative grantss to school systems for reformj andstudent achievement. American Opportunitu tax credit bumps college tax creditto $2,5009 from $1,800 and broadens its eligibility. Increases Pell Grant maximum by $500 to $5,35 0 in 2009 and $5,500 in 2010. Provides tuition assistancs at approved schools for dislocated and other eligible workerw seeking careersin high-demand jobs, which include health care and biotechj sectors. Workforce Investment Act funding increases to providre trainingto low-income, under-employed or dislocatedf workers.
Increased funding through Wagner-Peyser Act, which offers the generapl population jobsearch assistance, placementr help and recruitment services to employers with job Provides $13 billion for Title I grantse for disadvantaged students and $12.2 billion for speciall needs students. Bolsters work-study programk by $200 million, allowing an additionall 133,000 undergraduate and graduate studentsto participate.