Funding changes may change district’s adult education

Newport-Mesa Unified — along with school districts up and down the state — are grappling with changes to funding for adult education classes due to new mandates meant to streamline the services and funding changes proposed by the governor.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s latest budget proposal includes $500 million in adult education block grants that would flow to a new education “consortia” rather than directly to schools. These consortia would decide where to spend money on adult education, free classes typically taken by adults pursuing a GED, English learners, and some high school students.

Changes would affect students taking adult ed classes this fall.

“How this is going to play out is what we’re still working on,” said Steve McLaughlin, director of secondary curriculum. “We still want to address those needs.”

Newport-Mesa Unified is part of a consortium that includes three local community colleges, Huntington Beach Union High School District and Garden Grove Unified School District. Approximately 70 of these consortiums have been formed across the state.

With an eye to streamlining the patchwork of adult ed providers, a state law passed two years ago requires these consortia. Historically, school districts and community colleges have sometimes duplicated efforts.

As yet, it’s unclear how the local consortium, the one Newport-Mesa is a part of, will fund the district’s adult education, McLaughlin said.

This school year Newport-Mesa paid for the adult ed classes with a mix of federal grants and district funds. The classes are taught by six teachers, four of those part-timers, at a district facility in Costa Mesa.

McLaughlin said the school district’s “commitment is still there. The big question is…how this program is going to be supported moving forward.”

McLaughlin said some of the district’s and consortium’s decisions hinge on the governor’s revised budget, which is expected in May. The school board will finalize its budget the following month.

Reports have indicated that districts with a greater share of low-income students, English-learners, and foster students might receive more funds from these consortia, in keeping with the new Local Control Funding Formula. This formula channels more money to districts serving children with the greatest needs. Newport-Mesa is not considered one of these districts.

The number of students this might impact wasn’t immediately available. Approximately 900 “seats” in adult education classes were filled this school year, district officials said. Students can take multiple classes, making this only a rough estimate of the number of students who might be affected by changes to adult education.