NC Sets Its Priorities

From the NCAE Daily Political Briefing: (my bold)

Despite a public school system where 16 counties have been found unconstitutional and another county was most recently described as committing "educational genocide," the North Carolina Senate lopped $615 million from PreK-12 public education in its budget proposal.

And the "crown jewel" of the state, as the 16-campus university system has been called by senators recently? Only $36 million in cuts.

"It's very strange that North Carolina is receiving close to $700 million in federal stimulus money to stabilize K-12 education and the Senate cuts us by almost that amount," said NCAE President Sheri Strickland. "If you read the Senate's money report, they make no mention of this infusion of cash allocated to save jobs in our schools."

NCAE figures the Senate is either turning down the federal stimulus money or spending it on priorities not set forth by the U.S. Department of Education. Either way, the Senate has its priorities confused, according to Strickland.

"Under this plan, North Carolina students lose over 6,000 teachers next year," said Strickland. "But hardworking families will continue funding out-of-state tuition bills for out-of-state scholarship athletes?

These priorities are wrong."

Strickland went on to list a number of funding and tax reforms that could be dealt with during this budget crisis, including a means test for Legislative Tuition Grants. Currently, North Carolina gives any in-state family, regardless of how wealthy, nearly $2,000 if their children attend Duke, Wake Forest, Davidson or any other private North Carolina school.