DACSP Update June2010

DACSP UPDATE       JUNE 22, 2010

Nursing and transportation subsidies preserved in the FY 2011 state budget; driver’s education funding will continue to be a priority for the Catholic Schools Office and the Diocese of Wilmington for next year’s budget

On Friday, June 19, members of the Joint Finance Committee acknowledged the important contributions of Catholic and independent schools to the quality of education in Delaware by voting to preserve the nursing subsidy to independent schools and nonpublic school pupil transportation subsidy in the FY 2011 budget.

The Catholic Schools Office and the Delaware Alliance of Catholic School Parents (DACSP) worked throughout the session on three key priorities:

1. The full funding of the school nursing subsidy to independent schools.  This item was not included in the Governor’s Recommended Budget in January but was slated for consideration as part of the grant-in-aid process and subject to a likely reduction.  Instead, unlike most other pass-through items considered by the committee, this item was fully funded at its current level.
2. The restoration of the nonpublic school pupil transportation subsidy.  For the second year in a row, this item was marked for complete elimination.  Instead, it will be funded at $1.85 million (versus last year’s figure of $1.9 million, reflecting a change in non-public school enrollment); and
3. The restoration of $500,000 in funding for driver’s education instruction in non-public schools.  Currently, the State of Delaware funds the cost of half of this instruction.  The other $500,000 is supplied through a fee structure that the General Assembly and the Minner Administration put in place in 2008.  It appeared that this was possible until the latest Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council meeting yielded essentially flat revenue growth for June.  We will be working diligently in the coming year for the restoration of this funding and the elimination of the fee structure. 

The Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Wilmington thanks the members of the Joint Finance Committee for voting to restore both the nursing and transportation subsidies in a year when so many worthy nonprofit agencies and social services are subject to funding cuts.   Our strong intention is to build an understanding with government leaders of the need for drivers education to be fully funded for non-public school students in the future.

 The Catholic Schools Office also sends its appreciation to the many DACSP parents and parishioners who worked with us to achieve these outcomes in a difficult budget year.   Thank you for your diligent and effective advocacy.

Cathy Weaver
Superintendent
Catholic Schools Office