Officials fear vo-tech funding may be cut off by federal government
Donna M. Heintz knows how much it would hurt the Fayette-County Area Vocational-Technical School (FCAVTS) to lose federal money, if President George Bush’s administration cuts the education budget. “Eight staff people would be affected, should any money be taken away from the (Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act) grant. We rely heavily on that for personnel, equipment and supplies,” she said.
The FCAVTS received $370,000 this fiscal year in federal Perkins funds to supplement the school’s $3.2 million budget.
Heintz, the FCAVTS Education Association secretary, recently said the local union members are working to get the word out that the funds may be in jeopardy, and she asks anyone who is interested to contact Bush and the region’s lawmakers before it is too late.
“Every year, the Perkins money is re-allocated. We usually find out about it in March or April. We’re sitting on pins and needles, because we have not been able to get definite information,” she said.
“We’re worried that if we sit back, we will lose this funding.”
Stephen Patchan, a former officer of the FCAVTS union, said the vo-tech’s educators have sent out a newsletter to the community and started an e-mail chain to elected officials.
“The guys who want to take the money may not know what Perkins is, and that it would be a blow to us,” Patchan said.
Jacqueline Cullen, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Vocational Administrators (PAVA), said the possibility of losing the funding came out of early budget talks and surfaced in November, although Bush is expected to release his budget proposal in the coming weeks.
She said the initial information was that Bush planned to cut all of the Perkins money and redirect it to the Pell Grant Program, which provides funding for students in higher education. She said vocational educators like the FCAVTS union have been vocal, and the legislators seem reluctant to take away the funding.
“We’re very hopeful that it’s not going to happen,” Cullen said. “In the last few weeks, we are hearing positive feedback. The people have really responded well.”
However, she said the contacts to the lawmakers must continue.
“It’s still important, because it’s going to be a very tough budget year. Unfortunately, the way some decisions are made is by the squeaky wheel,” she said.
On the FCAVTS Education Association’s list of contacts are the White House, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown) and U.S. Sens. Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum.
Murtha, in a prepared statement, said he will work to restore any education funding that may be cut, although he indicated he is not optimistic all cuts can be restored at a time when tax cuts and international issues of terrorism and the situations in Iraq and Korea threaten the budget.
“I’m always concerned about the level of our education funding. When anyone talks about the future of this great nation, we all quickly realize that providing a strong education for our children is essential. When we talk about how dramatically the world has changed – how everything is driven by new technologies and how all the growing job fields involve technology – people focus immediately on the need to provide a strong education base for the children. Today, technology is even the key to successful vocational jobs, because we have so much added to our cars and buildings,” Murtha said.
Jim Bradshaw, a spokesman for the U.S. Education Department, said Friday he had no specific information available on the Perkins funding.
“All we can tell you is the president’s budget is going to be provided in the next few weeks, and we remain committed to providing adequate education opportunities for everyone.
“That’s the centerpiece of our operations under the No Child Left Behind Act, and that means all opportunities, all disciplines in education,” Bradshaw said.
The FCAVTS Education Association newsletter quotes the Perkins Act as providing $28 million to Pennsylvania schools in the 2002-2003 academic year.