Bush budget eyes education cuts

Elia Powers

A hands-on technology training service used by more than 2,000

Newport-Mesa School District employees might be in jeopardy if a

major state block-grant program is eliminated.

As part of the 2006 budget proposal released on Monday, President

Bush recommended slashing educational technology state grants,

including the nearly $500-million Enhancing Education Through

Technology program that delivers federal money to elementary and

secondary schools.

In an attempt to cut the deficit in half by 2009, Bush is looking

to eliminate 150 domestic discretionary programs, one-third of which

are education-related.

Schools already offer a sound infrastructure of technology

programs, and there is no longer a need for state formula grants

targeted specifically to schools, Bush aides wrote in an official

budget explanation.

Newport-Mesa district director of educational technology Steve

Glyer disagrees.

“It’s unfortunate,” Glyer said. “Part of the district’s strategic

plan is to increase the role of technology in the classroom. These

are digital kids. I think it’s short-sighted to eliminate programs

that our children use.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to avoid cuts.”

The EETT program is intended to improve academic achievement

through the integration of technology into school curricula. A major

aspect of the program is providing technical training and support to

school staff members.

Glyer said EETT “formula funding” has enabled the Newport-Mesa

district to use in-house trainers to teach district employees

programs such as Microsoft Excel and to conduct workshops on skills

such as digital photography.

He said educational technology cuts would seriously decrease the

district’s training capabilities.

Since the Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2001,

Newport-Mesa has applied for and received one “competitive grant”

that goes toward a specific project, Glyer said.

The district received 1,000 hand-held computers, which it

distributed to each sixth-grade student at TeWinkle Middle School and

each seventh-grade student at Ensign Intermediate School.

District assistant superintendent of finance Paul Reed said school

districts are guaranteed to see money promised from existing grants.

“With the president’s proposed cuts, that kind of money won’t be

available in the future,” he said.

Reports show that Congress already cut the EETT budget by nearly

30% earlier this year.

A group of smaller school technology programs are also in danger

of being cut, including some that help provide computer access to

underserved schools and others that help create computer centers in

low-income areas.

Glyer said the district is looking at applying for a federal grant

that would lead to the acquisition of a computer program designed to

help students who struggle with reading.

“We are hoping our funding opportunities won’t be removed,” he

said.