Carl Sandburg College President Lori Sundberg told members of the Illinois House that the state budget impasse is hurting the western Illinois college and its students.
Sundberg said CSC is suspending programs on January 1 that are funded by state and/or federal grants. She said that will affect around 400 adult education, literacy, and English as a Second Language students.
“In my opinion, those are some of the students who most need us,” Sundberg said. “Because they don’t have a high school education, English is not their first language, they’re not able to read. So those are the people who I would say are the most needy. But they’ll be the ones that do not get services, and we’re the sole provider in our community of that.”
Sundberg said it’s the college’s policy to suspend grant-funded programs if the grants go away because the college is unable to afford all the programs it currently offers. She said the college is also unable to start up new programs without state funding.
Sundberg hoped her testimony in the capitol left an impact on lawmakers.
“Sometimes when you hear the names of programs, you don’t associate the people with them, and you don’t associate who those programs serve. Those programs serve the neediest people. And so I hope I was able to convey that,” Sundberg said.
Illinois is in its fifth month without a state budget.
Sundberg hoped a spending plan could be passed in January.
