The New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools Urges Congress to Oppose President Bush's Funding Cuts

When President Bush released his Fiscal Year 2008 budget, he proposed cutting the amount of federal money spent on career and technical education by more than 50 percent. The President's budget puts at risk $24.7 million in Carl D. Perkins funding for career and technical education in New Jersey. An additional $2.2 million in "Tech-Prep" grants to support training partnerships between secondary and post-secondary schools in New Jersey, would be eliminated completely in the proposed budget.

For the third consecutive year, the members of the NJCCVTS are imploring Congress to ensure continued quality education for more than 160,000 New Jersey students pursuing career and technical opportunities. In the past three budget cycles, members of Congress have shown they understand the value of career and technical education and voted to restore full funding of these critical programs.

Federal funding for career and technical education keeps nearly 600 programs in 21 county vocational-technical school districts on the cutting edge of new technology. Carl D. Perkins funds help to keep county vocational-technical schools in the forefront of high school reform, ensuring that our students experience rigorous academics and technical training to prepare them for work and further study. Through “Tech-Prep” and other linkages, students in all 21 counties are getting a jump-start on higher education by earning college credit while attending county vocational-technical schools.

Please call, email or fax your Congressional Representative and Senators and ask them to restore full funding for vocational-technical education in the 2008 federal budget.

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