Pubdate: Thu, 05 Jan 2006
Source: Fort Morgan Times, The (CO)
Copyright: 2006 The Fort Morgan Times
Contact: http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/Stories/0,1002,8356,00.html
Website: http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2115
Author: John La Porte, Times Staff Writer

SAFE, DRUG-FREE SCHOOLS PROGRAMS FACING CUTS?

Morgan County public schools -- and all school  districts in Colorado 
- -- stand to lose 20 percent of  their federal grant money for 
programs for safe and  drug-free schools in the 2006-07 school year.

The proposed cut statewide is about $91 million, said  Janelle 
Krueger, principal consultant on prevention  initiatives for the 
Colorado Department of Education.

The congressional conference committee reached an  agreement on the 
budget of $350 million. With a  mandated one percent recision, 
Krueger said, the  funding level would be $346.5 million. President 
Bush's budget had called for no funding, which would eliminate  the program.

The funding bill is awaiting the president's signature,  after which 
the federal Department of Education would  allocate funds.

Last year's funding was $437 million.

School districts use the money for specialized programs  focusing on 
drug and violence prevention; some use it  to help pay people working 
in such programs. Fort  Morgan, for example, uses some of the money 
for  part-time family liaison people at Baker Central  School, Fort 
Morgan Middle School and Lincoln High  School.

If grants are used to pay people, said Joy Perry, Fort  Morgan 
director of instructional support, programs are  difficult to 
maintain as salaries and benefits need to  go up while grants are 
being reduced.

Fort Morgan received nearly $20,000 for 2005-06, Brush  about $4,500, 
Wiggins about $3,800 and Weldon Valley  about $1,100.

While Perry does not anticipate having to eliminate any  positions, 
some hours could be reduced, and some  special programs such as Red 
Ribbon Week anti-drug  activities could be cut.

Weldon Valley School Superintendent Bob Petterson said  the funding 
reductions would mean having to cut  programs or come up with money 
from the general fund,  "which is stretched anyway."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman