State budget causes DECA dilemma

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - The loss in funding means DECA leaders will have to do some serious fund raising to keep the doors open for the 2010-2011 school year. In the meantime, parents like Kim Jackson-Cook are wondering what's next?

"As a parent, what do I now need to do?"

Jackson-Cook can't believe state lawmakers voted to cut funding for early college academies like DECA. It's something lawmakers could have avoided Jackson-Cook said.

"I had hoped that they would look at the test scores, and at the quality of program that it is and i hoped they had done some research and compared it with a lot of other schools in the country you know yourself it's top notch."

Now, All nine Ohio early college academies will find it hard to stay afloat. The state had provided $12 million to the schools in the last two-year budget, according to the Ohio Department of Education Jackson-Cook said.

"My son is a junior this year, he'll be a senior next year. I would also like for my young son to be apart of the program and so a lot of hard work ahead."

Hard work and good grades is something Jackson-Cook's son Payne is used to seeing at DECA. He's involved in a number of activities that is helping him build critical skills.

"Student government, getting out, doing my community service projects. I mean I could do those at other schools but it's not like the DECA experience that I get at DECA."

Principal Judy Hennessey says her school has enough funding to survive this next year. But the future is harder to predict with a more than $700,000 shortfall.

"We just feel like when you have something that works, its demonstrated that a number, a huge number of kids who would not have gone to college are now in primarily Ohio colleges will return to ohio communities to create wealth...to undermine those programs in the long run may be counterproductive."

Dayton Public Schools sponsor DECA, while the University of Dayton operates the program. DECA enrolls students in grades seven through 12. All 26 of its graduates this year were admitted into college. Hennessey says the bright side is she has a year to be aggressive and look for operational grants to keep her school open.