Big school cuts possible

District-by-district impacts of potential budget cutbacks

BG Tech reaches record enrollment

The Courier-Journal
December 13, 2002

Big school cuts possible
Patton: Education progress imperiled

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Layoffs of public school teachers and school staff. Big tuition increases at state colleges and universities. Classes with too many students. Twelve years of hard-fought progress in public education grinding to a halt.

That bleak outlook would be in store for Kentucky students from kindergarten through graduate school if the state's education system has to absorb more than $310 million in spending cuts to cover revenue shortfalls in the budget this year and next, Gov. Paul Patton and others warned yesterday.

Patton -- joined by university officials, the state's education commissioner and three local school superintendents at a news conference and rally at an elementary school -- said he wants to avoid such cuts. But the state is facing a $144 million revenue shortfall this fiscal year and an expected $365 million shortfall in 2003-04.

''Are we going to live with the reduced revenue that we have, or are we going to restore revenue to a level to meet the commitment that we've made'' to education? Patton asked. ''This is a decision that needs to be made by the people of Kentucky. Let me assure you that the legislature is going to do what they think the people want done.''

But Senate Republican Leader Dan Kelly, contacted after the rally, said the governor has a long way to go if he's trying to convince the public and lawmakers that higher taxes are needed.

''I'm not convinced more revenue is needed, and at this point I haven't seen any interest in considering tax increases,'' said Kelly, of Springfield.

To balance the budget, Patton said, state funding for public schools will have to be reduced $77.1 million this year -- including $51.9 million in direct state aid to school districts -- and $159 million in 2003-04 -- including $105.4 million in direct state aid. Postsecondary education must be cut $24.4 million this year and $50.3 million next year, Patton said.

The cuts amount to 2.6 percent of planned spending this year and 5.2 percent next year.

At yesterday's rally in the gymnasium of Frankfort's Second Street Elementary School, no one was questioning the serious impact of cuts of the size described by Patton.

State Education Commissioner Gene Wilhoit said the cuts could mean as many as 1,800 fewer teachers statewide. Gene Binion, superintendent of Elliott County schools, said the cut this year alone would force him to lay off eight teachers and 12 instructional aides.

Joe McCormick, executive director of the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority, said financial aid for postsecondary students would have to be cut, including trimming a popular state scholarship program that makes awards to students based on their high school grades. ''To now say that we simply do not have enough money to fulfill that promise is unacceptable,'' McCormick said.

Patton, speaking before about 100 students, said it's important for Kentucky's future ''to keep our commitment to education. . . . Our policymakers must understand the implications of the cuts that will have to be made because of the current fiscal crisis.''

Jefferson County Public Schools would lose $5.8 million this year and $11.7 million next year under the scenario outlined yesterday. Bullitt County would lose almost $900,000 this year and $1.8 million next year. Oldham County would lose more than $700,000 this year and $1.5 million next year.

Tom Strohmeier, chief financial officer for Jefferson County schools, said the district already is getting about $6 million less than expected this year because state officials underestimated enrollment and overestimated local tax contributions to schools -- two key factors affecting state appropriations to schools.

The potential new cuts ''hopefully put the focus on what the commonwealth of Kentucky needs to do to get the money our kids need,'' Strohmeier said. He said he didn't know how the district would cope with the cuts, but that some layoffs could be included.

Patton and other officials warned that Kentucky's progress in public education -- boosted by reform at the elementary and secondary level in 1990 and at the postsecondary level in 1997 -- will stall if the cuts are necessary. But because education takes up about 60 percent of General Fund spending and was largely spared in previous budget cuts, Patton has said he doesn't think it can avoid a share of future cuts.

Much of the impact will be on personnel.

''We are a labor-intensive enterprise,'' said Wilhoit, the education commissioner, noting that up to 80 percent of school budgets goes for personnel. ''I don't know how they are going to make the cuts that would have to be made without affecting personnel.''

At the university level, Mike Nietzel, provost at the University of Kentucky, said ''scores of faculty and staff positions'' would have to be eliminated and tuition would have to increase significantly.

Nietzel also said cuts to education would be counterproductive because they would make it more difficult for the state ''to grow itself out of its economic doldrums.''

Binion, the Elliott County superintendent, said his district was one of those that initiated the lawsuit that produced the Kentucky Education Reform Act in 1990.

''I don't think that the citizens of this state want to go backward,'' he said. ''I think they want to continue this effort. In my opinion it would be disastrous if we had to make the cuts'' suggested yesterday.

The final decision on how to balance the budget will be made by the General Assembly, which convenes in January.

House Democratic Leader Greg Stumbo of Prestonsburg said he's open to considering a tax increase. ''I'm not going to turn my back on the kids of this state after 23 years in the legislature,'' Stumbo said. However, he said it will be hard to persuade the public that a tax increase is needed.

''I believe the governor is giving an accurate portrayal of the seriousness of this issue,'' Stumbo said. ''The problem for him may be that the pain will not be felt until later next year. Unfortunately, the people usually have to actually feel that pain before they are willing to support any increase in taxes.''

But Kelly, the Senate Republican leader, said across-the-board cuts such as those Patton portrayed won't be imposed because ''we have to evaluate everything and first implement other cost-saving measures. My goal would be no cuts in K-12, but that would mean cuts elsewhere, including postsecondary education.''

House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark, D-Okolona, accepted Patton's grim outlook and suggested that leaders of the Democrat-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate appoint members to a group to try to develop a bipartisan solution before the main part of the 2003 session begins in February.

The Courier-Journal
December 13, 2002

District-by-district impacts of potential budget cutbacks

DISTRICT NAME	Impact of 2.6% reduction in FY 2003 SEEK & FSPK spending plan allocations	Impact of 5.2% reduction in FY 2004 SEEK & FSPK HB 1 allocations
ADAIR	$274,346	$566,903
ALLEN	$296,085	$615,268
ANCHORAGE	$0	$0
ANDERSON	$283,687	$595,622
ASHLAND	$284,013	$571,371
AUGUSTA	$31,402	$66,769
BALLARD	$127,066	$259,904
BARBOURVILLE	$64,515	$129,583
BARDSTOWN	$161,106	$325,415
BARREN	$372,547	$772,859
BATH	$194,031	$388,376
BEECHWOOD	$56,157	$112,137
BELL	$344,183	$700,492
BELLEVUE	$70,251	$140,317
BEREA	$106,854	$229,925
BOONE	$794,744	$1,756,815
BOURBON	$236,288	$457,045
BOWLING GREEN	$292,843	$606,202
BOYD	$300,972	$613,333
BOYLE	$239,233	$491,894
BRACKEN	$123,466	$263,186
BREATHITT	$257,018	$508,002
BRECKINRIDGE	$261,037	$528,912
BULLITT	$896,745	$1,840,044
BURGIN	$34,598	$79,970
BUTLER	$228,071	$445,659
CALDWELL	$203,545	$424,695
CALLOWAY	$251,164	$501,987
CAMPBELL	$299,047	$607,723
CAMPBELLSVILLE	$111,263	$220,605
CARLISLE	$82,165	$164,317
CARROLL	$147,733	$302,966
CARTER	$512,357	$1,058,390
CASEY	$246,023	$501,669
CAVERNA IND.	$73,414	$145,929
CHRISTIAN	$881,960	$1,812,113
CLARK	$403,091	$819,267
CLAY	$475,990	$948,761
CLINTON	$145,650	$300,694
CLOVERPORT	$31,911	$67,163
CORBIN	$199,768	$423,344
COVINGTON	$408,943	$792,510
CRITTENDEN	$130,502	$260,454
CUMBERLAND	$117,222	$232,276
DANVILLE	$148,287	$305,789
DAVIESS	$899,257	$1,869,207
DAWSON SPRINGS	$75,280	$145,661
DAYTON	$125,532	$246,030
EAST BERNSTADT	$53,002	$107,194
EDMONSON CO.	$211,530	$438,481
ELIZABETHTOWN	$199,442	$431,944
ELLIOTT CO.	$144,655	$292,801
EMINENCE	$50,245	$110,180
ERLANGER	$157,446	$322,588
ESTILL CO.	$286,555	$579,899
FAIRVIEW	$66,953	$138,435
FAYETTE CO.	$0	$0
FLEMING CO.	$244,895	$502,299
FLOYD CO.	$697,580	$1,376,011
FT. THOMAS	$128,635	$257,636
FRANKFORT	$81,317	$165,476
FRANKLIN	$410,500	$810,122
FULTON	$85,947	$166,270
FULTON	$51,255	$105,139
GALLATIN	$125,014	$244,260
GARRARD	$225,416	$458,132
GLASGOW	$159,702	$322,218
GRANT	$353,041	$738,044
GRAVES	$404,114	$836,047
GRAYSON	$392,163	$787,007
GREEN	$165,923	$321,868
GREENUP	$309,370	$628,188
HANCOCK	$128,481	$252,828
HARDIN	$1,195,735	$2,429,948
HARLAN	$508,905	$1,013,689
HARLAN	$87,949	$171,965
HARRISON	$301,317	$601,954
HARRODSBURG	$95,800	$193,283
HART	$246,686	$509,780
HAZARD	$91,885	$168,029
HENDERSON	$606,950	$1,234,775
HENRY	$191,459	$394,729
HICKMAN	$75,191	$153,587
HOPKINS	$684,678	$1,425,758
JACKSON	$268,988	$536,091
JACKSON	$61,330	$138,086
JEFFERSON	$5,829,622	$11,686,084
JENKINS	$61,301	$133,253
JESSAMINE	$531,603	$1,084,774
JOHNSON	$411,700	$827,896
KENTON	$779,245	$1,583,829
KNOTT	$277,714	$533,410
KNOX	$495,664	$997,032
LARUE	$235,229	$478,245
LAUREL	$789,457	$1,643,087
LAWRENCE	$269,729	$528,368
LEE	$141,068	$276,589
LESLIE	$247,094	$501,040
LETCHER	$384,792	$775,691
LEWIS	$254,495	$519,459
LINCOLN	$442,607	$922,597
LIVINGSTON	$122,176	$232,440
LOGAN	$315,469	$660,251
LUDLOW	$94,197	$184,804
LYON	$68,138	$141,884
MADISON	$812,329	$1,673,361
MAGOFFIN	$275,122	$530,928
MARION	$281,330	$563,778
MARSHALL	$368,582	$736,228
MARTIN	$254,344	$501,514
MASON	$225,378	$460,930
MAYFIELD	$141,027	$290,025
McCRACKEN	$525,910	$1,087,151
McCREARY	$386,675	$789,616
McLEAN	$150,406	$301,915
MEADE	$443,937	$888,097
MENIFEE	$129,524	$265,488
MERCER	$198,793	$427,211
METCALFE	$165,569	$340,955
MIDDLESBORO	$163,647	$320,447
MONROE	$206,933	$418,308
MONTGOMERY	$352,744	$710,382
MONTICELLO	$91,621	$176,804
MORGAN	$250,959	$504,371
MUHLENBERG	$487,663	$991,551
MURRAY	$130,987	$273,217
NELSON	$403,341	$833,072
NEWPORT	$240,694	$466,676
NICHOLAS	$114,535	$241,874
OHIO	$414,153	$835,194
OLDHAM	$717,157	$1,514,894
OWEN	$181,094	$370,653
OWENSBORO	$346,901	$715,173
OWSLEY	$104,974	$206,004
PADUCAH	$264,555	$529,754
PAINTSVILLE	$63,319	$141,646
PARIS	$59,950	$132,768
PENDLETON	$288,828	$589,518
PERRY	$479,502	$966,204
PIKE CO.	$975,661	$1,928,364
PIKEVILLE	$91,368	$190,538
PINEVILLE	$63,068	$133,644
POWELL	$273,374	$543,889
PROVIDENCE	$43,717	$88,171
PULASKI	$693,310	$1,416,145
RACELAND	$96,136	$202,299
ROBERTSON	$42,269	$86,804
ROCKCASTLE	$321,487	$656,258
ROWAN	$276,609	$554,490
RUSSELL	$272,690	$561,970
RUSSELL	$162,900	$336,234
RUSSELLVILLE	$129,141	253,432
SCIENCE HILL	$49,400	$103,943
SCOTT	$447,159	$919,464
SHELBY	$392,867	$809,447
SILVER GROVE	$28,373	$62,075
SIMPSON	$236,863	$477,715
SOMERSET	$125,235	$249,650
SOUTHGATE	$0	$0
SPENCER	$191,910	$386,061
TAYLOR	$249,193	$513,081
TODD	$202,949	$404,088
TRIGG	$180,030	$360,602
TRIMBLE	$137,306	$284,625
UNION	$243,978	$487,114
WALTON-VERONA	$92,703	$192,479
WARREN	$843,185	$1,740,049
WASHINGTON	$166,558	$341,095
WAYNE	$267,765	$549,658
WEBSTER	$175,504	$353,799
WEST POINT	$14,799	$26,208
WHITLEY	$503,301	$1,023,426
WILLIAMSBURG	$77,106	$156,128
WILLIAMSTOWN	$73,627	$160,800
WOLFE	$160,327	$320,418
WOODFORD	$243,371	$484,726
STATE TOTALS	$51,870,446	$105,447,623

Daily News
November 20, 2002

BG Tech reaches record enrollment

Enrollment at Bowling Green Technical College reached a record this semester.

There are 2,288 students enrolled for the fall semester. The combined enrollment of the four campuses of BGTC increased over fall 2001 enrollment by 3 percent, with projections of a 5 percent increase before the end of the semester.

For the past four years, enrollment has steadily increased up 33 percent in 1999, 30 percent in 2000, and 58 percent in 2001. With the 3 percent increase this year, there has been a cumulative 124 percent increase in the college’s enrollment since the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) was formed in 1998.

Almost every college in KCTCS is enrolling record numbers of students this fall. System-wide enrollment is up more than 5 percent over fall 2001 and more than 45 percent since fall 1998.

Enrollment has increased this fall among both full-time students (up 4.1 percent) and part-time students (up 5.1 percent). Fifteen of the 16 KCTCS districts saw enrollment increases from fall 2001 to fall 2002.