The Wisconsin Technical College System Board recently approved its 2007-09 budget request, a $41.1 million package that contains increases to general state aid and Worker Advancement Training Grants.

The WTCS request was formulated based on the input of the State Board’s Budget Development Committee, which included representation from WEAC and other constituent groups.

The request will now be forwarded to Governor Jim Doyle and his Department of Administration, which will develop the 2007-09 governor’s budget based on recommendations from state agencies.

State Board members felt, despite the difficult fiscal conditions facing the state in the next biennium, the WTCS is well-positioned to address many of the Governor’s major budget policies by helping Wisconsin strengthen its economic performance. For example, several of the budget initiatives align well with Governor Doyle’s Grow Wisconsin plan – an effort to expand high wage, high skill employment in Wisconsin.

Specifics of the 2007-09 budget request are as follows:

General State Aid – The budget request seeks $31.9 million in general state aid, resources that are distributed to the colleges based on a property wealth equalizing formula. Over the years, general state aid has accounted for a declining share of technical revenues. General state aid has remained stagnant since 2000-01, and grew at less than 1% annually from 1994 to 1995. Once more than one-third of technical college resources, general state aid now makes up only about 15% of total revenue. Student tuition now accounts for a larger share of the total technical college revenue pie than does general state aid.

Worker Advancement Training Grants – The budget proposal requests a $6 million increase to the Worker Advancement Training Grants. A new program developed by Governor Doyle in the 2005-07 budget, the grants provide skill training through the technical colleges for incumbent workers in Wisconsin businesses. A total of $2 million was included in the 2005-07 budget for the grants. The program’s expansion seeks to meet strong demand from employers for the training grants.

Minority Student Participation and Retention Grants – The budget request seeks an additional $1.2 million for Minority Student Participation and Retention Grants – grants that fund student support activities aimed at improving minority student success and expanding minority student recruitment and retention strategies.

The 2007-09 budget plan also requests funding to assist with the recruitment of students into manufacturing programs ($1 million) and funds to implement programs intended to expand the number of baccalaureate degree holders in Wisconsin ($1 million).

Of note, the State Board did reject a budget proposal that would have allowed districts to decrease out-of-state tuition from current rates to 150% of the in-state rate.