We allocated $11.5 billion - 56 percent of the total budget - to education. The House ensured that we will provide resources in public schools to those who need it most - poor people and those at risk of dropping out of high school. A panel will distribute $7 million in grants to help schools and groups working on dropout prevention. The Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Fund will be increased by $17.6 million and teachers will receive a 5 percent pay raise. We also increased funding for academically gifted students by $1.75 million, gave an extra $5 million for children with disabilities, and allocated $5.7 million to hire 100 literacy coaches for middle schools.
Our students must be able to compete in today's technological world. To that end, we allocated $12 million to improve instructional technology in our schools and $3 million for pilot programs at eight high schools where each student and teacher will get a computer.
We will increase access to our universities and community colleges by providing $22 million for need-based grants in the University of North Carolina system. Both systems received all the money they requested for enrollment growth. We also allocated $127 million to the Education Access Rewards North Carolina (EARN) Scholars program to give 25,000 community college and UNC system students $4,000 need-based scholarships each year. Community colleges will get $15 million for a facilities and equipment grant program and $10 million for more equipment. Learn & Earn has also been increased by $2.4 million so that more high school students can earn college credits and the online component of the program increased by $11.5 million.
No comments:
Post a Comment