Under President Bush’s budget for Fiscal Year 2006, Illinois is one of eleven states that would lose 75 percent or more of its federal adult education funds.   Nationally, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) estimates that nearly half a million people – at least 470,000 – would be denied literacy, Adult Basic Education, GED, and English as a Second Language services due to the President’s proposed budget cuts.

On February 7, 2005, the day that President Bush unveiled his budget, Schakowsky said: “President Bush has gone on the attack.  The Bush budget is a weapon of mass destruction aimed squarely at true and proven programs that improve the quality of life for low and middle income Americans.  This is a morally reprehensible budget that clearly demonstrates President Bush’s lack of compassion, misplaced priorities, and warped values.”

Today, more than 51 million out-of-school American youth and adults lack a high school diploma or GED, and 29 million are in need of English language services.  However, only 2.8 million individuals can be served by current public adult education and English language efforts.  Yet the Bush Administration proposes to slash funding for these programs by nearly three-fourths (74.1 percent) – from the current $501.1 million to $131.4 million.

The ETHS Adult Education Department, which has been offering classes for more than 50 years, serves 500 students, and is federally funded.  Most of the students live and work in Evanston or the surrounding communities.