Georgia’s higher education agencies are being asked again to share in some budget belt-tightening.
Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposed budget for the 12-month budget cycle starting July 1 would cut funding to several long-standing education programs in the state.
The cuts include:
- $4.1 million to the Cooperative Extension Service, which provides training, educational programs and outreach in agricultural, horticultural, food and family and consumer sciences. It also manages Georgia's 4-H youth program.
- $3.5 million to the Agricultural Experiment Station, which is under the University System, and is in charge of new product development and global competitiveness of Georgia's agribusiness.
- nearly $1 million to the Technical College System of Georgia's adult education program.
Much of the belt-tightening will come from not filling vacant positions and reductions to operating expenses.
Administrators from the University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia attended annual budget hearings Wednesday to explain the proposed changes. There would be no public griping from them about any cuts. They dutifully said the changes would not greatly impact their most important duty: educating students.
“We still believe we can provide services with the budget as submitted,” Greg Dozier, who became the Technical College system’s commissioner at the start of January, told lawmakers at the hearing.
Some lawmakers didn’t seem sure, or they wanted more answers.
Rep. David Knight, R-Griffin, did his calculations and concluded 60% of the cuts to the University System appeared to be to agricultural and research programs. Knight, chairman of the Higher Education Appropriations Committee, asked University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley a few questions about the potential impact, particularly to rural parts of the state.
Rural Georgia has historically been shorted by state government, many lawmakers complain.
“How is this going to effect the sustainability of the USG?,” Knight queried.
Wrigley said he hoped to know more after meetings with Kemp’s budget team.
But like Dozier, the University System team did not complain.
“The budget recommendations are vital to the success of the 333,000 students,” Tracey Cook, Executive Vice Chancellor for Strategy and Fiscal Affairs, said during the presentation.
In August, Kemp ordered all state agencies to cut 4% for their budgets for the 12-month fiscal cycle that ends June 30 and 6% for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The governor said the cuts were brought on by slower tax collections during the early months of 2019.
The budget news was not all bad. Total funding to the two higher education systems from the amended current budget will increase by about $85 million for the University System and nearly $2 million to the TCSG because of enrollment increases. USG and TCSG employees making less than $40,000 a year would get a $1,000 salary increase.
Some lawmakers had more questions for Wrigley, but the University System’s hearing was scheduled for just 30 minutes. The committee chairman said the hearing went over the time limit, so if lawmakers had more questions they had to ask in the hallway.
To be continued at next year’s hearing.
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