Great Budget News!

Congratulations Adult Educators!

The $1.5 million for Adult Education was restored in the conference budget for both years of the next biennium!!

Rumors were out last week about the budget negotiated by the Conference Committee of the House and Senate.  I am sure the rumors reached you, too.  Now that it is in writing, I want to share the good news.  

As the clock ticked down to the last minutes of the Conference Committee budget negotiation, the Senate, which had not proposed an increase for Adult Education, concurred with the House recommendation which reduced our cut by $1.5 million in each year of the next biennium.  This achievement is due to the fact that our legislators know the essential importance of Adult Education to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its future. 

They are well informed because of the persistent efforts of so many people who care about our students:  KAACE leaders and President Julie Scoskie; all of you who attended the legislative lunch and followed up with your legislators; KYAE which communicated repeatedly with all legislators; everyone who mailed so many postcards, including our students; the great number of you who responded to the request to place phone calls to legislators during the conference session; all of you who made personal contact with legislators (and friends and family who knew legislators); Brad Cowgill, Lee Nimocks and Ron Carson of the CPE who never gave up talking about the value of investing in Adult Education, and so many more.  It was truly a tremendous grass roots effort that was strongly supported at the state level…a sure partnership for success.

This is not the end of the budget process, of course.  There are veto days left and the Governor’s agreement must be secured.  We all know from the news that he remains concerned about having the revenue to support this budget.  But this is a very hopeful and important step in getting back some of the Adult Education funds that had been proposed to be cut earlier in the session.  We still have been cut three percent in the current year ($800,800) which KYAE absorbed rather than passing it on to local programs.  With the reduced cut in the conference budget, we face a total reduction of six percent for FY 2008-2009 and FY2009-2010.  This is much better than the early proposal of a 12 percent reduction.

Many, many thanks to each and every one of you and the students, family and friends who stood up for Adult Education in a time of need.

We have a great mission that is carried out by great and dedicated people.

Sarah Hindman Hawker