Big Cuts Proposed for PA Education Budget

PA Governor (R) Tom Corbett revealed his FY 2012-13 state budget proposal, which cuts funding for Pennsylvania’s 14 state-owned universities by 20 percent, or $82.5 million.

These cuts would set back the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education to funding levels not seen since 1989-90.

While I understand the need to balance a budget, my sadness is that education fuels economic growth and innovation and while short-term cuts will balance today’s budget. The Governor is risking future innovation within PA.

One area that I think is particularly ripe for innovation is, in fact, education. And while it is possible to argue that cutting budgets forces innovation, I haven’t seen evidence of this relationship. All I see is hard working students who put forth monumental efforts to earn a degree struggling to work several jobs and to make ends meet.

One can argue that education is too expensive and at some school it is but the state system is doing its best to keep tuition low and there is little “ivy tower” work going on in the state schools with which I am familiar.

In fact, the state system schools work hard to put into place programs to provide workers for the needs within our state. Marcellus Shale education programs to take advantage of jobs created by that industry, allied health related fields, instructional technology (a growing field), computer forensics.

I shake my head and wonder how Pennsylvania and America expect to compete in the information age while we systematically dismantle our educational system for those who need it the most.

A sad day.