Adult ed programs' problem: Funding tight, usage way up

By Dorothy Schneider, Journal & Courier

dschneider@journalandcourier.com

Most recent nights there was standing room only in the classroom labs at Lafayette Adult Resource Academy.

Many, such as Lafayette resident Juan Huiza, who works on parts at Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc., are using the GED diploma program to qualify for a better job.

"I'm trying to get better skills so I can get a better position," he said.

But while the adult education programs in Tippecanoe and other counties are bustling, the funding for such programs isn't robust. JoAnn Vorst, who has directed LARA for 32 years, said her program has been level-funded for a decade.

State Rep. Sheila Klinker was chairman of a 2008 adult education study committee and is hoping to secure more money for programs across Indiana this year.