GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 475

Short Title:  Stay Smart Program Funds.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Brubaker; Arnold, Baker, Brown, Capps, Clary, Culp, Dockham, Esposito, Gardner, Gillespie, Gulley, Hiatt, Holmes, Kiser, McMahan, Mitchell, Moore, Morgan, Morris, Preston, Rayfield, Sexton, Tallent, and G. Wilson.

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Referred to:  Appropriations.

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March 17, 1999

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES FOR THE STAY SMART PROGRAM.
Whereas, it is well-documented in numerous independent consultant reports and evaluations authorized by the General Assembly that the North Carolina Community College System is underfunded in three principal areas – instruction, support, and other costs; and
Whereas, this underfunding, which is noted in the State Board of Community Colleges' 1999-2001 Expansion Budget Request, restricts the ability of the North Carolina Community College System to be responsive to the constituencies it was created to serve; and
Whereas, these constituencies include students, business, industry, and the communities in which they are located; and
Whereas, this underfunding further prohibits the North Carolina Community College System from fulfilling its statutory mission to offer (i) vocational and technical education and training, and (ii) basic, high school level, academic education needed in order to profit from vocational and technical education; and
Whereas, sufficient funding must be provided if the General Assembly expects the Community College System to meet the economic development needs of the State of North Carolina, including continuing education, service to small business entrepreneurs, specialized training for traditional industries, and assistance to newly locating and expanding existing industries; and
Whereas, students, business, industry, and the communities in which they are located, must not only start smart, they must "Stay Smart"; and
Whereas, each adult learner, each small business person, each plant worker, and every member of the communities in which they live and work, must have the opportunity to Stay Smart as they prepare for work, deal with the redefinition of their jobs, and seek to obtain higher levels of job skills; and
Whereas, the vehicle in North Carolina that serves this public purpose is the North Carolina Community College System; and
Whereas, because the vehicle for staying smart is the North Carolina Community College System and because that vehicle does not have the funding to fulfill its mission, the General Assembly concludes that additional support is needed to guarantee quality instruction, to provide financial and academic counseling and support, and to procure instructional resources and materials; and
Whereas, staying smart necessitates proper instruction, proper direction, and proper tools; Now, therefore, 
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Community Colleges the sum of sixty-two million eight hundred eleven thousand forty-nine dollars ($62,811,049) for the 1999-2000 fiscal year and the sum of sixty-two million eight hundred eleven thousand forty-nine dollars ($62,811,049) for the 2000-2001 fiscal year to:
(1)	Bring faculty-to-student ratios in line with actual class sizes, thereby improving the quality of instruction through the reduction of faculty workloads and improvement of faculty compensation;
(2)	Employ additional counselors, financial aid specialists, librarians, and technology specialists which provide both student and instructional support; and
(3)	Enable the procurement of additional instructional software, license, supplies and materials, data processing, printing of course materials, and instructional professional development.
These funds will be deployed to ensure that adult learners can Stay Smart, stay productive, and stay employed in an ever-changing economy.
Section 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1999.