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Local Education Programs May be Effected By Sequester Decision

by KREX News Room
by Danielle Kreutter

Story Created: Feb 25, 2013 at 9:39 PM MDT

Story Updated: Feb 25, 2013 at 11:16 PM MDT

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - The sequester decision that could result in billions of dollars of cuts across the board needs to be made in the next four days.

Those cuts will have several impacts locally, including to education programs.

School District 51 is no stranger to deep cuts and they may be facing even more due to the upcoming sequester deadline.

"For us that means that those [federal] fundings would be reduced somewhere between 7-10 percent," said Melissa Callahan deVita with Support Services of School District 51.

White House officials say if the sequester goes into effect, more than $16 million will be cut statewide from federal funding for Title 1 grants for low income students and special need students.

Fortunately, last fall District 51 officials decided to hold back funds to prepare for the possibility of these cuts.

"In the form of the Title 1 grants for the lower socioeconomic kids, we have held back approximately $500,000 and for special education we've held back about $300,000," said deVita.

That will save the programs for this school year if the sequester goes into effect, but another education program is also on the chopping block.

"With the children that we serve, coming from a low income family, sometimes they don't possess those skills, they're environment might indicate something is missing," said Judy Lopez, Director of the Western Colorado Head Start Program of the students that enroll.

The sequester would eliminate their services for around 700 children statewide.

"We would lose some of our enrollment capacity, we wouldn't be able to serve as many children as we currently are," said Lopez.

With nearly 100 students already on the waiting list for Head Start in Western Colorado, their other option would be to cut their services which range from education, health services, disability and mental health services and more.

"We desperately need to be able to provide to continue the quality of care that we are giving to our children and any cuts would harm the program as it is," said Lopez.

Although School District 51 is financially set for this school year, officials say they are also supporting Head Start to continue to receive funding because, if not, it may put pressure on the district's early education programs which are on their own wait list.

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Disgusted said on Wednesday, Feb 27 at 7:51 AM

If we cut all Federal Money out of SD51's budget then the progressives wouldn't be able to poison the minds of our children with their hate-America propaganda.

Better Idea said on Tuesday, Feb 26 at 1:59 PM

Cut out ALL Federal money to D51. If we can't pay for it from our tax base, we don't need it. Lets publish the District's financial records and all have an honest look at what's going on. You'll be shocked by the waste and stupidity, regardless of which side you are on.

Anonymous said on Tuesday, Feb 26 at 11:53 AM

Many of these comments give me hope. Then we get into the r vs d blame game or the 'it's for the children' whine. Anyone ignorant enough to still believe in the Republicans vs democrats myth, needs to read 545 people (google it). They are both in on it. Anyone who thinks throwing more money at it will solve a thing, needs to educate themselves on other countries education systems. We spend what, $50,000/year to educate our children? Many come out illeratate, and most unable to grasp logic. While Asian countries spend a couple hundred dollars and they can math whip our kids, out science them and speak a couple languages. North Koreans are taught the necessary math to do artillery trajectories in their head...wonder why?

BAMBOOZLED said on Tuesday, Feb 26 at 10:31 AM

BUT WE CANNOT CUT PENTAGON SPENDING, NO, WE MUST BOMB THE BROWN PEOPLE AT THE SACRIFICE OF OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. LOL WHAT A JOKE OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS, LOL.

Anonymous said on Tuesday, Feb 26 at 10:27 AM

And it will happen because the failure of the repubs and the tea billys refuse to comprise.

GOVT- MEDIA FEAR MACHINCE said on Tuesday, Feb 26 at 9:30 AM

Working to RIP U OFF and Send Your Childern To WAR or PRISON ASAP !

Future costs said on Tuesday, Feb 26 at 9:21 AM

The sky is falling if our children are not receiving the services that they need to succeed. This will only result in higher costs down the road for remedial education, social services, and sometimes (unfortunately) law enforcement and criminal services.

Disgusted said on Monday, Feb 25 at 11:46 PM

Oh no! THE SKY IS FALLING! THE SKY IS FALLING!

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