The Portage Adult Education program will be extended for another year, but officials are considering closing one or more of the 24 Adult Learning Centers in order to cut costs.

The Portage Township School Board agreed last week to continue serving as the fiscal agent for the multi-county adult ed program for another year, in the hopes that an alternative long-term funding solution can be found in the interim. In late 2007, the program was in limbo, after the school board threatened to end its administrative involvement due to the financial loss to the Portage Schools.

Adult Education Director Frank Vernallis said in order to cut costs, he is looking at which ALCs could be closed. He said probably no more than two of the satellite centers will be shut down.

“We have to make these decisions or else we risk losing the entire program,” he said.

Portage Adult Education operates 24 ALCs, including one each in Chesterton, Valparaiso, South Haven and Portage. Others are in neighboring counties, including one in Hobart and one in Lake Station.

Vernallis said he will conduct a cost analysis of each center, looking at factors such as the number of students served and whether the ALC is located in close proximity to another ALC.

He would not speculate on the fate of the Chesterton ALC, located in the Westchester Public Library Service Center. He did note, though, that the Chesterton ALC serves not only the immediate Duneland area but also an area to the east where no other ALCs are located.

No decision on what ALC’s to close will be made until Adult Education learns more about its funding status after Indiana lawmakers adopt a new state budget. Vernallis noted that usually, state funding for general education and adult ed are already known by now, but that the budget talks broke down, prompting a special session this month.

Although other school corporations, including Duneland, pay Portage Adult Education based on the number of students served, the Portage Township Schools as the program’s administrative agent must pick up any deficit. In recent years, the operating loss has averaged around $150,000 annually, which the Portage Schools absorb at the expense of its regular K-12 funding.

The state has provided $14 million a year for adult education programs statewide. State Senator Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, temporarily got that funding increased to $15 million, before the budget talks failed at the end of this year’s regular session.

In the meantime, Vernallis noted that Portage Adult Education recently held its graduation, with nearly 500 area students achieving either their GED or regular high school diploma through the program.

Posted 6/1/2009