State Legislature

Illinois FFA on the chopping block

A proposed zero dollar balance is sitting next to the agriculture education line item in the Illinois state budget.

Executive Director of the Illinois FFA Center Mindy Bunselmeyer tells Brownfield this is the second year ag education has been zeroed out.  “I don’t necessarily believe we are being targeted.”  She says, “I think given all the challenges we have in our state they are trying to identify any special lines and eliminate those lines and try to tighten up our budget.”

Bunselmeyer says much of the current $1.8 million goes directly to schools through the Incentive Funding Grant Program.  “Our ag programs are as strapped as the entire school so sometimes that incentive funding grant money is the only money that an ag program will get in the state, and many times it keeps that ag program alive.”  She says agricultural education and FFA provides future career skillsets to young people and empowers them to grow into more informed citizens.

The proposed cut comes at a time when the Illinois State Board of Education is recommending the agricultural education budget be increased to $3 million for FY 2016.

AUDIO: Interview with Mindy Bunselmeyer