Perdue: Education, jobs are top priority

Gov. Beverly Perdue gave her education cabinet a preview of her plans for education in the face of a massive budget shortfall.

Perdue said her budget proposal, which she will unveil Tuesday will treat education and jobs as the top priorities. Other parts of state government will feel deep cuts, Ben Niolet reports.

"I figure by tomorrow nobody in North Carolina is going to be speaking to us," Perdue said at a meeting at Wake Tech. "What I'm about to do tomorrow hasn't. Been fun. It hasn't been easy."

Education, specifically K-12 will see an increase in spending of $350 million. Perdue said the 2.5 percent increase will come from a combination  of state money and federal recovery funds.

Perdue said she wants to see local schools make teachers in classrooms the priority for federal dollars.

The state board and local administrations will see cuts across the state, Perdue said.

More after the jump.

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In the community colleges, Perduesaid she wants to spend $3 million to promote green jobs as well as jobs in defense and aerospace.

Perdue said community colleges would also see some money for nursing programs.

The community colleges will see cuts such as to libraries and off-campus centers, but will have a $3 million reserve fund to handle the growth in enrollment that always accompanies a recession.

In the university system, Perdue said she wants to ensure that enrollment is fully funded. Her budget will have no bond projects.

Perdue said she would move forward with 12 more early college hugh schools across the state, particularly in rural areas. The schools allow students to get a high schol diploma and an associates degree in five years.

Education accounts for the single largest expenditure in the state's budget, $21.4 billion currently.

In that budget education spending was more than $11 billion.