Tuesday, Jul. 21, 2009

Huskins funding could get cut

The state might cut funding that allows hundreds of high school students in Johnston and Wake counties to take some community-college classes for free.

Through the Huskins Bill, the state gives money to community colleges to offer courses to high school students. The idea is to encourage students to go to college while saving them money. Community-college courses are much cheaper than university classes.

In Johnston, hundreds of high school juniors and seniors take Huskins classes through Johnston Community College, said Dr. David Johnson, president of the college. Instructors go to the high schools to teach courses, many of which are not regular high-school offerings, like Bible studies and sociology.

“Without the Huskins funding, all of a sudden those courses go away,” said Johnston superintendent of schools Ed Croom. The state is not thinking about funding cuts to Huskins technical programs or math and science classes, said state Sen. David Rouzer, who represents Johnston and part of Wayne County.

But funding for general education courses, like English, psychology and foreign languages, could get cut. Rouzer said lawmakers might delay any change until 2010.

About 1,000 Wake students are typically enrolled in Huskins classes, said Dr. Stephen Scott, president of Wake Technical Community College. Almost 240 are enrolled in classes that might get cut. It was unclear how many Johnston students are enrolled in those classes that could lose funding.

Across the state, Scott said, Huskins funding for classes on the chopping block is $15 million.

Johnston Community College receives about $1 million for the Huskins program and dual enrollment, which allows high school students to take college courses on the JCC campus, Johnson said.

He said two full-time JCC employees teach in the Huskins program. If state lawmakers cut part of the program, those employees’ jobs could be at risk.

“We’re doing everything we can to preserve those positions,” Johnson said.

He said students who take Huskins classes can earn up to a year of college credit. That saves families money as students graduate from high school and begin college.

If the program is cut, some students who had signed up for Huskins classes this fall will have to choose other courses, Croom said.

In Wake, Scott said the community college sent letters to high school principals to notify them of the situation.

This would be another example of how tight budgets are affecting schools. Although County Commissioners gave Johnston schools $1 million more this year than last, state funding remains uncertain.

To save money, Johnston schools have not filled 133 full-time and part-time posts. But the system has not had to resort to layoffs. The open slots came through retirements and resignations, Croom said.

Wake schools are bracing for larger classroom sizes and reduced staff.