Education

Adult education faces possible funding cut

Posted: Feb 17, 2011 5:50 PM by Angela Douglas - Q2 News
Updated: Feb 17, 2011 5:58 PM

BILLINGS - As state lawmakers consider cuts to the state budget, education spending is on the chopping block.

Earlier this week, a proposal to eliminate funding for adult basic education programs drew a huge crowd at the capitol.

The adult education program at the Lincoln Center in downtown Billings serves people from all different backgrounds, but they come with one common goal: to get educated and back on track.

"If they weren't there to guide me, I might've just went astray because that's kind of where I was going," explains adult student, Kyle Heath.

Billings Adult Education Director, Woody Jensen, credits the students.

"They're bright people that are taking advantage of this as their only way to get a leg up and start on things," Jensen explains.

For more than three decades, Billings Adult Education has helped thousands of students obtain their GED.

"We put out over 300 per year, with 150 of those coming from state funded adult education programming," Jensen states.

Heath hopes to earn his GED next month and says the center has changed his outlook on learning.

"I've taken a big interest in math, that I didn't use to have," Heath admits. "I like school, I brag to all my friends how much I love it. It's a good environment."

Adult education survives on federal, state, and local funding. But recent discussions at the capitol in Helena could have a negative impact on the program.

"The loss of state funding would primarily affect a copay or a matching that's required of the states to get federal funds," Jensen explains. "In order to get the federal funds, we really need to match the 25-percent. So, if Montana were to drop its state funding of $525,000, it essentially means a $400,000 reduction in federal funds statewide."

No matter what, Jensen says the Lincoln Center will strive to meet the needs of its students, but he admits a lack of funding will make it difficult.

"It's not that we won't persevere and keep on, we are," says Jensen. "We're committed to that process. It just makes the task that much harder."

Adult education funding is part of House Bill 2, which is the overall government funding bill. Typically action is not taken on that bill until the end of the session. Which means the Lincoln Center will just have to wait to see what its funding level will be.

Statewide, each year, the adult education program helps 6,000 Montana adults earn their high school diploma.