The Raleigh Report

 

From the Office of Representative William Brisson

April 28, 2011

 

 

The budget proposed by the majority in the North Carolina House of Representatives made its way through two committees this week and is scheduled to be heard on the House floor early next week.

 

As I have shared previously, this budget will be unnecessarily devastating to our state and I continue to work to try to improve it. The estimated job losses based on the latest plan will conservatively reach nearly 26,000 positions, with about 23,000 jobs being lost in education alone. That’s equivalent to nearly 10 percent of the total number of jobs lost in North Carolina during the entire recent recession. This budget will only worsen our job situation in the state and leave our students unprepared to compete in the workplace.

 

I wanted to share some specific information with you about the education layoffs under this plan, which reduces education spending in the state by $1.2 billion from last year. I hope you will find it useful.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance.

 

 

Education

 

Fiscal analysts have estimated the number of jobs that will be lost throughout the state based on the proposed cuts. The actual number may be greater because of reductions in local funding and because state cuts in programs such as transportation, staff development, mentoring and the Learn and Earn program have not been fully analyzed, though it appears likely the $72 million in cuts in these areas will result in the additional loss of jobs.

 

K-12

 

Position                                  Number of lost jobs

Teacher Assistants                 11,086

 

Teachers                                 4,056

 

Custodians                              1,190

 

Librarians/Social Workers/    870

Guidance Counselors

 

Clerical Workers                    560

 

Assistant Principals                555

 

County Administrators           130

 

Principals                                85

 

 

Community Colleges

 

As is the case in much of this budget, job losses in the community colleges are disguised as general cuts to programs without specifying the positions that will have to be eliminated to meet the budget target.

 

The state’s community colleges received a 10 percent reduction in its budget, despite enrollment growth of about 25 percent in recent years. The growth is the result of displaced workers returning to school for job training so they can be more competitive in the job market.

 

The North Carolina Community College System estimates that it will lose 1,000 jobs spread over its 58 campuses. This will mean fewer instructors, fewer courses, less training and a delay in the state’s economic recovery efforts.

 

 

Universities

 

The University of North Carolina system estimates that cuts proposed at the existing level will mean the elimination of at least 3,200 jobs in the 17-campus system. About 1,500 faculty positions will be cut, resulting in the loss of 9,000 course sections and 240,000 class seats. Following are examples of what will happen at each campus. This is far from an exhaustive list.

 

_ UNC-Charlotte officials estimate that the average time for students to earn a degree could increase by a full semester.

 

_ Western Carolina University would have to eliminate 63 faculty positions (11 percent of all faculty), resulting in the loss of an estimated 147 courses per semester and 3,600 fewer classroom seats.

 

_ Winston-Salem State University would have to eliminate 9 percent of its faculty (38 positions).

 

_ UNC School of the Arts may have to close its School of Filmmaking and its high school academic program.

 

_ UNC-Asheville would have to eliminate 6 percent of its faculty (13 positions) at the same time that applications are up 22 percent.

 

_ North Carolina State University would have to eliminate six fire protection and police positions (9 percent of total), impacting crime prevention and front-line public safety support to the university.

 

_ UNC-Greensboro would have to eliminate 18 facilities operations positions (7 percent of total).

 

_ UNC-Chapel Hill Admissions Office staff loss would result in closing the office two days a week from November 1 through March 31 to allow time to properly review applications.

 

_ North Carolina Central University would have to eliminate 12 positions in critical infrastructure areas, such as finance, human resources and information technology.

 

_ Appalachian State University would have to eliminate financial aid and loan

staff as the number of students with financial need requirements increases.

 

_ East Carolina University would have significant staff reductions in student services, including academic advising, leadership development, and career preparation.

 

_ North Carolina A&T State University will have to eliminate 630 course offerings after professors are laid off.

 

_ Fayetteville State University would consider ending services and classes at the Fort Bragg, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and community college campuses. The school will also have to cut academic counseling positions.

 

_ UNC-Pembroke, with fewer teachers, will have to increase class sizes for introductory courses, likely increasing the dropout rates among freshman and sophomore students.

 

_ Elizabeth City State University will have to cut positions in its public safety and mental health services, reducing the well-being of its students.

 

_ UNC-Wilmington would cut five counseling positions.

 

_ The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics would have to cut teaching and support staff, likely resulting in the loss of 84 courses. The eliminated courses would include humanities courses beyond minimum graduation requirements, research courses and upper level mathematics courses.

 

 

Notes

 

_ I joined an effort this week to try to force the majority to consider a bill to extend unemployment benefits to 37,000 people in North Carolina. The benefits would be funded with federal money and be of no additional cost to the state, but the state needs to make a minor change in the law to qualify. A bill extending the benefits has sat in a House committee for more than three weeks without action. So far, 51 representatives, all Democrats, have signed a petition to force the bill from committee and onto the House floor for action.

 

Please remember that you can listen to each day’s session, committee meetings and press conferences on the General Assembly’s website at www.ncleg.net. Once on the site, select "Audio," and then make your selection – House Chamber, Senate Chamber, Appropriations Committee Room or Press Conference Room.