County Vocational School Leaders Express Outrage at President Bush’s Attempt to Slash Funding

Please call, email or fax your Congressional Representative and our Senators and ask them to restore full funding for vocational-technical education in the 2007 federal budget and press for reauthorization of the Carl Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act before the end of this year.

For contact Information please visit the following websites: Congress - www.house.gov or www.senate.gov ; and the President - www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Feb. 7, 2006

The New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools today rebuked President Bush's request to eliminate all federal funding for vocational education in his Fiscal Year 2007 budget request released Monday.

The move by the Bush administration marks the second year in a row that the President attempted to wipe out the $1.3 billion investment in career and technical education authorized by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act.

"President Bush has said he wants to redirect this money to fund high school reform throughout the country. If the President wishes to witness real high school reform, he need look no further than the 21 county vocational-technical school districts right here in New Jersey," said Diana Lobosco, president of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools. "Our schools are dependent upon the Perkins funds to keep current with changing technologies by funding new programs and new equipment necessary to compete in our ever-changing economy."

"While the President talks about reforming high schools with these funds, he is pulling those dollars from the very schools that have proven success in reforming the high school experience for students," said Lobosco, superintendent of the Passaic County Technical Institute.

Since 1917, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational & Technical Education Act has been the only federal funding of career and technical education, granting $1.3 billion to high schools and community colleges across the nation in Fiscal Year 06. In New Jersey, $24.7 million was received last year.

Following the President's budget proposal last year, Congress reinstated the full funding of the Perkins Act.

"I am hopeful that Congress will again wisely restore this funding, recognizing its importance to secondary students throughout the nation," Lobosco said.

The New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools represents the leadership and students of the state’s 21 county vocational-technical school districts.

CONTACT: Wendi Patella, 609-392-6222