Notes from the Senate
BY SEN. JACK HILL, 4th DISTRICT

Department of Technical and Adult Education

The total budget request for the Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE) in FY 2008 is $423 million ($346 million state funds). This is an increase of $10,512,608 from FY 2007 ($9,712,608 state funds). Within the requests, $63,100 will fund an increase in the employer contribution rate for the Teacher's Retirement System, $5.6 million will be used to annualize the pay raise that became effective January 1, 2006, and $333,767 (a funding formula increase) will provide operating expenses for new buildings opening in FY 2008. DTAE is also requesting $991,566 in the Amended FY 2007 budget and $3.6 million in the FY 2008 budget for the Kia temporary training center and offices that are scheduled to open in late spring/ early summer in West Point/LaGrange. These funds will assist the Department's system of technical colleges - 34 technical colleges, 31 satellite campuses, and technical programs at four university system institutions - and 3,500 employees.

DTAE's off-line requests include the following:

$2.2 million in the Amended FY 2007 budget to fund 47 displaced adult literacy instructors due to a reduction in TANF grants from the Department of Human Resources.

$6.8 million in the FY 2008 budget to fund an increase in utility costs from FY 2000 to FY 2006.

$8.2 million in the FY 2008 budget to hire more full-time faculty for the technical colleges, in order to reduce the part-time faculty rate from the current 66 percent to 60 percent.

$2.4 million in the FY 2008 budget to continue the Stay in School Initiative. This initiative was launched in FY 2006 by the Governor's Office of Workforce Development in collaboration with DTAE, the Department of Education (DOE) and local school systems. The technical colleges and local schools work with middle school counselors, teachers and DOE's new high school graduation coaches to provide important information to students about their career options and interests.

$15 million in bond funds in the FY 2008 budget to create Charter Technical High Schools. Each technical college would receive $200,000 to implement a Charter Technical High School on their campus. Local school systems would provide matching funds for any bond funds that are received.

$650,000 in the FY 2008 budget to fund the Fast Track Nursing Initiative that allows technical colleges without nursing programs to create a "satellite" program by using existing nursing programs at nearby technical colleges, in order to produce more nurses, more quickly.

$4.1 million in the FY 2008 budget to establish the Bridge to Success program. These funds would serve 3,500 students by facilitating the transition from a GED to technical education and other educational opportunities.

$600,000 in the FY 2008 budget to establish an Early College initiative, in collaboration with the Board of Regents, which links high school with college, in order to increase high school graduation and college entry rates. These funds would support initiatives at two technical colleges at $200,000 each, with the remaining funds being used for administrative costs.

The Office of Planning and Budget and the Governor will review all of these off-line requests in preparing the FY08 General Budget.

Visit the Legislature's Home Page at www.legis.state.ga.us. I want to hear from you!. I may be reached at, 234 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334, (404) 656-5038 (phone), (404) 657-7094 (fax), e-mail at Jack.Hill@senate.ga.gov, or Call Toll-Free, 1-800- 367-3334, day or night. Reidsville: (912) 557-3811.

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