Bob Wise: “I have been visiting title I programs across the State of West Virginia. Of course, there is a problem too that you…”

“I have been visiting title I programs across the State of West Virginia. Of course, there is a problem too that you pointed out. All of our States have to prepare their budgets for the next school year now in the spring. In the State of West Virginia, on April 1 they have to post the list of transfers and layoffs by State law on April 1. So the fact that this Congress has not gotten around to getting them a 1996 budget, even though the Congress is working on a 1997 budget at this point, doubly compounds the problem. They are presently operating under the assumption there will be a 17-percent cut. What that means to the State of West Virginia is on April 1 they will have to announce the layoffs of 226 title I teachers and 90 aides. Of the roughly 38,000 students that take advantage of the title I program across the State, title I being assistance in math and reading, but it has actually expanded far beyond that to be a total classroom approach in many of our schools, in addition to the 226 teachers and the 90 aides, 6,500 out of 38,000 students will not be able to get title I services. Some would suggest maybe this perhaps needs to be cut. I would point out it has been cut and restricted significantly in past years.”