The Education Subcommittee of the Joint Conference Committee trying to hammer out a state budget by July 1 finally meets this afternoon after a couple of delays. 

We get a first peak at the “work in progress” of the education part of the budget.  The conference committee chairs have been meeting over the weekend and this committee receives a progress report.  They are over their target spending limit by $102,650.062 the first year; and $151,095,426 the second. 

The main sticking points that the conferees are having a problem working out are:

1.  DPI position reduction (House says eliminate 115 total, Senate says 300 total, Governor didn’t specify a number)
2.  University tuition increase (The House increased it by $200 per student; the Senate didn?t)
3. Resident tuition for non-resident students (The House took out the whole allocation of #13,880,000; the Senate left the whole thing in)

A few highlights of what they have reached a compromise on:

1. There will be no reduction in the NCSU speakers’ series
2. Centers located within UNC system will have funding reduced by $12 M the first year and $14 M the second
3. Drop out prevention grants will get $12 M (Senate had $1 M; House had $13 for Speaker Hackney’s pet project)
4. More At Four gets $15 M less the first year and $30 M less the second (Senate had $86 M cut each year; House cut $10 M each year)
5.  Career & Technical Education (CTE) funding that the House took out ($12 M the first year; $10 M the second)  has been put back in.

The appropriations committee is making these decisions without knowing what the revenue package will look like.  Rep Ray Rapp (D Madison) does say they are hoping for “manna from heaven.”  Does that mean that taxpayers are angels?

The committee adjourns with no real decisions being made.  The real decisions are made by the chairs of the conference committee with these proposals rolled out for consideration and information by the rank and file members of the committee.  Deliberative and transparent, it’s not.