What will Extension look like in the future?
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| Judd Lusher (center) makes a comment during Thursday’s public meeting on the future of the University of Illinois Extension offices. Extension has received no money from the state for the current fiscal year, which began in July, and expects to see a $5 million cut for the coming fiscal year. Lusher and other Bureau County residents praised the efforts of the Bureau County Extension office, which might be merged with another county during future reorganization plans. (BCR photo/Barb Kromphardt) |
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PRINCETON — More than 130 people crowded into the conference room at the University of Illinois Extension office in Princeton Thursday night to express their support for the organization.
They came from all over northwest Illinois, from Bureau and Lee to Stephenson, Henry and Rock Island counties.
They came as Extension employees and county board members and as volunteers.
They came to sing the praises of Extension programs ranging from Master Gardeners to 4-H to classes for Certified Crop Advisors.
They came because the state is broke, and about $5 million of the budget shortfall is going to come from Extension offices.
Thursday’s meeting was the latest in a series of 10 meetings that began in Champaign Feb. 22, and will end next week in Countryside. The meeting was moderated by Bob Hoeft, interim Extension director, who said all of the meetings have overflowed with people eager to show their respect for Extension.
Hoeft said change is inevitable for Extension, which is almost 100 years old.
“If don’t do something dramatic, it won’t be there for the next 100 years,” he said.
Hoeft said Extension is looking at $4 to $7 million in cuts to its current $65 million budget. He said the goal is to use the money Extension will have left to keep the system alive and providing services Illinois residents want.
Of Extension’s $65 million budget, 70 percent goes to personnel costs, 10 percent for rent and utilities, and 20 percent is spent on programming, supplies, travel and operational costs. Hoeft said they can look at saving small amounts from the 20 percent, but the majority will need to come from personnel and rent.
The rent figure amounts to $4.7 million, so anything that can be cut there is important.
“Every $1 million cut in rent saves the jobs of 15 to 18 people who can provide programming,” Hoeft said.
One area of projected savings is the creation of more multi-county units to reduce administrative costs. Almost 40 percent of the counties are already in a multi-county unit, and the goal is to reduce the current 77 unit offices to a total of 30 to 35 units.
Hoeft said change is tough but it’s necessary for the future of Extension.
“It’s not about an individual, it’s not about an individual county,” he said. “It’s not about what we’ve done, it’s about what we’re going to do. What will we look like and how we’ll we deliver programs.”
Then came the questions and comments from the audience.
One man said the problem exists because Illinois legislators haven’t been doing their job, but then asked if Extension’s ability to cut meant it had been operating with an excess. Hoeft said no, the ideal is still individual unit offices.
“We’re looking at where we can cut to do the least damage,” he said.
Several Bureau County residents praised the local unit. Judd Lusher of the Bureau County Youth Development Coalition praised the unit for its work with after school, youth and grandparents programs. Farm Bureau President Rob Sharkey called the staff second to none, while County Board Member Loretta Volker praised the training available for county board members.
Princeton City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh read a resolution by the Princeton City Council urging the office be left in Bureau County. Bureau County Board Member Mary Jane Marini said the county board had adopted a similar resolution.
But it isn’t all about Bureau County.
A woman from Rock Island County said they too would like to keep their local office, but that the issue was bigger than any individual county.
“It has to be what is best for the University of Illinois Extension,” she said.
Patricia Wilson, who serves as the president of the Lee County Extension Foundation, expressed concerns about donors not wanting to give across county lines if multi-units are formed. Another concern was mentioned about support from county board and other governmental agencies if the donations would cross county lines.
Hoeft said the focus needed to be on sharing.
“We’re all in this together and we all might go down together,” he said.
Jim King of the Henry County Board talked about how the Henry-Stark Extension Unit worked, and how important the work was.
“We can’t cheer for our county,” he said. “We have to cheer for these kids.”
King said it was a shame the richest country in the world didn’t have enough funds for education, and urged everyone to contact their legislators.
“Tell them, ‘I want to pay more taxes because I think education is important,’” he said to general applause.
Mike Shore of Stephenson County also expressed concerns about not having a local office for volunteers, and urged some sort of presence exist in each county. Hoeft said no cuts would be made that would cause volunteers to have to do more, and that some kind of office would probably remain in each county.
Hoeft said youth programs must remain local as youth can’t drive. An area farmer agreed that 4-H needs the local presence, but for him, it’s more important the research continues and is gotten to the people who need it.
“That’s more important than where the people are,” he said.
Hoeft asked for any additional feedback to be sent to uiefeedback@illinois.edu, and said no plans will be made until after the public meetings end next week.
One final questioner said he hoped local people would actually have some determination in the future of Extension.
“We’re going to do it to the extent we can,” Hoeft said. “We’re going to do the best we can.”
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