During last Thursday’s Associated Student Government (ASG) meeting, the Center for Early Childhood Education (CECE) funds were reallocated for this coming 2023-2024 fiscal year. The funds were given to the new campus-wide recycling program, the student counseling center and the Education Opportunity Fund. The vote passed 17-1-2. 

Emporia State sent out an announcement in August 2023 about their plans to end the CECE program and tear down Butcher Education Center this summer. The CECE program was partially funded by a student fee controlled by ASG. Full-time students paid $6.50 and part-time students paid 50 cents, according to bill SB23028. 

In a previous draft of the bill presented to the Senate, approximately half of the reallocated funds were meant to be used to launch a new 24/7 counseling program which has been advertised around campus with fliers. However, during the meeting, members discussed removal of this specification since the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) is providing the funds to launch this program. Now the counseling center can use the reallocated funds as they choose instead of for the 24/7 online counseling program. 

Due to this change, the passed bill provides funds for the counseling center as a whole instead of just for the launch of the upcoming program. The second largest portion of the allocated funds will be going toward expanding the new recycling program. The funds will provide more financial stability and funds for more student employees, according to Hailey Kisner, ASG vice president and senior psychology major. 

The last and smallest section of the reallocated funds will go to the Education Opportunity Fund. This is a fund students can apply for to receive extra financial aid if they qualify. One of the uses of the fund is to help pay for childcare, according to Bella Price, ASG President and senior history and education major. 

When working on creating the bill, Price, Kisner and the Fiscal Affairs committee put together a survey that 88 on-campus students filled out, according to the bill. Students were asked which out of an array of options they would like to see the CECE funds reallocated to. The top three voted options were the recycling program, launching the 24/7 online counseling service and providing cost assistance for childcare, according to the bill.