INDIANAPOLIS - On Wednesday the Indiana General Assembly's Interim Study Committee on Adult Education met for the second time this summer to discuss how the state can provide training for over 500,000 adults in Indiana who lack a high school diploma. State Senator Karen Tallian (D-Portage), a member of the committee, said the need for reform and increased funding for adult education is clear. Tallian sponsored the 2008 legislation creating the committee which is studying, among other related topics, funding for programs that provide basic workforce skills and assistance in the completion of K-12 graduation requirements for adults.

"We have over half of a million Hoosier adults without a high school diploma, yet only 40,000 are receiving training," Tallian said. "With a high school diploma as the bare minimum for most living wage jobs, too many Hoosiers are being left behind in this economy."

Of critical concern, added Tallian, is that state funding for adult education has not increased in nearly a decade. The state appropriates $14 million in annual funding, and an additional $10 million is received from the federal government.

"The state needs to invest in the skills of our workers and cultivate one of our greatest assets - our workforce," Tallian said. "Investing in adult education provides a higher standard of living for Hoosiers and makes Indiana attractive to companies who can employ our workers with good paying jobs."

In Indiana adult education includes preparation for the General Educational Development (GED) certificate exam, adult secondary credits, adult basic education, English as a second language, workplace education, and family literacy. Nearly 80 percent of adults who enter adult education programs have skills below the ninth-grade level.

Portage Township Schools operates a multi-county adult education program, serving approximate 2,500 adults from six counties at a cost to the local school corporation. The situation has caused a funding shortfall for the corporation, and part of the state lawmakers' discussion is on finding a solution to allow corporations such as Portage to recoup the costs of serving out of county adult learners.

Portage school officials have also expressed concern that a projected funding shortfall of $1.2 million in 2010 for Portage Township Schools will put even further stress on the program.

"Providing adult education on a regional level certainly makes sense and has been successful in Portage Schools," commented Tallian. "But the state needs to recognize the value of that service and fund it sufficiently, not expect schools to provide adult education at the expense of their K-12 budget."

The Interim Study Committee on Adult Education is expected to report findings to the General Assembly by November 1 for consideration during the 2009 legislative session. Agendas and meeting minutes from the committee are available online at www.in.gov/legislative/interim.

For more information on Sen. Tallian, her legislative agenda or other State Senate business call 1-800-382-9467 or visit http://www.senatedemocrats.in.gov/.

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