More high school dropouts in Alachua County may choose not to go back to school because they now have to pay tuition.
Charley Wise, supervisor of adult education for Alachua County Public Schools, said he has seen a decrease in enrollment in adult education classes this fall, something he attributes to a new tuition policy.
In an effort to offset budget cuts, the Florida Legislature passed a law last spring requiring state residents to pay $30 for 18 weeks of classes, including those for GED preparation and English as a second language. Nonresidents must pay $120.
This fall, Wise said Alachua County has about 100 students enrolled in GED preparation classes and about 80 to 100 students in English Speakers of Other Languages classes. Although last year's numbers were unavailable, Wise called the drop "significant."
Enrollment in GED preparation classes has fallen 70 percent in Broward County and 61 percent in Palm Beach County, according to numbers in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Wise said Alachua County may stop offering classes during the summer because there's a chance not enough people will sign up for a seven-week course that costs the same as an 18-week course.
But Wise said he thinks the intentions behind the regulation were good.
"I think the Legislature was trying to get a little more commitment from people," he said. "If you have to pay up front, you might be more inclined to finish the program and be a success."
Though GED and ESOL classes have lower numbers, Wise said they may be more successful students, but the school district won't see results for a year or two.
Coming up with the money may not be the only problem. To prove residency, students must present two forms of identification such as a driver's license, a voter's registration card, a utility bill or two years of high school transcripts.
If a student is unable to produce two forms, he or she is classified as a nonresident.
The population that may have been hit the hardest, Wise said, is Alachua County's inmates.
Last year, 62 students graduated from the jail's free GED program. This year, there are only 20 to 30 students enrolled, he said.
"I really think it's in society's best interest to make sure a fellow has a degree when he walks out of jail," Wise said.
