Legislators Call For Study to Examine Merger of Historically Black Colleges, Majority White Institutions

A lawmaker who wants to merge two historically black colleges in Georgia with nearby predominantly white institutions has teamed up with the head the state's Legislative Black Caucus in calling for a study committee to examine the move. State Sens. Seth Harp and Emanuel Jones are backing a resolution recognizing the importance of the historically black schools. The resolution introduced Thursday also calls for a panel to investigate consolidating colleges in the state. Harp, a Republican from Midland, has said the state should look at merging the schools in Savannah and Albany to save money in tough budget times. Harp says the schools are a vestige of the state's Jim Crow laws. Jones has argued the schools have a rich heritage and educate those who otherwise might not attend college.

(Associated Press)

South leads nation in Pre-K enrollment

A new report by the Southern Education Foundation, says the south's rate of enrollment for 3- and 4-year olds averages 19-percent.

That may not seem like much, but it's nearly twice as much as the nation's other regions combined.

Here in Georgia the figures are even higher. That's because nearly 30 percent of eligible three and four year olds are enrolled in pre-k.

Andrea Young helped to author the report and says the payoff extends over time.

"The outcome from the kids who had pre-k were better in terms of their high school completion rates. So while we don't want to say that pre-k is a silver bullet, the reality is that it does have a lifelong impact on the children who get the benefit of it."

The report also shows investing in pre-k saves states money.

They don't spend as much on remedial education in higher grades.

The midyear budget: winners and losers

When Governor Sonny Perdue signed the midyear budget Tuesday, he admitted it helped some state agencies but hurt others.

"I've been trying to persuade my legislative brethren [who write the budget] there were unmet needs and these things would happen," Perdue told reporters. "Bad decisions have consequences."

The consequences will be felt strongly by the following "losers" in the 2007 amended budget:

Prosecuting Attorneys Council Executive Director Richard Malone says the budget shortchanges district attorneys' offices by $1.2 million.

Malone says every employee, except the district attorneys, will be furloughed without pay for up to six days.

"The DAs themselves will be okay," Malone said. "It's the younger and the less financially stable folks—meaning those that get paid a lot less—that are going to suffer the most."

Malone worries that line prosecutors and staff will become discouraged and go job-hunting elsewhere.

Adult basic education teachers are in an even worse bind: they could be furloughed for an entire month because the Department of Technical Education did not receive the $800,000 it needs for salaries in June.

Spokesman Mike Light says the department is seeking other sources of money.

"If we're going to do anything to save the people and keep them on their jobs," Light says, "It would have to be local funds from the college level or somewhere else."

About 96,000 students are in the programs that could be suspended. They include high-school dropouts in GED classes, and immigrants learning English.

On the other hand, here are some "winners":

Administrators of the cash-strapped Peachcare child health program are relieved. They will receive up to $81 million to reimburse providers.

But, they will not lift the freeze on enrollment until October or later, according to Mark Trail, who oversees the program.

Trail says state officials want to make sure that Congress reauthorizes the program and changes its federal funding formula.

About 284,000 children from low-wage and middle-class families use Peachcare.

Finally, the budget brings good news for public schools. They will get $164 million to pay teachers and school nurses.