Budget conference: Education budget directs $4.5M for FSW radiologic program

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Budget appropriators are pointing a $4.5 million blast in state funding at Florida SouthWestern (FSW) State College. The Fort Myers school plans to use the funding to enhance a radiologic technology program.

The latest offer from Senate Education Appropriations would provide more than $2.2 million in funding in recurring revenue and another $2.2 million in nonrecurring revenue. House Higher Education Appropriations already has that amount budgeted for the school.

That fully meets one of three funding requests that Rep. Adam Botana, a Bonita Springs Republican, submitted on behalf of the school.

The request comes from FSW President Jeffery Allbritten.

“The goals that will be achieved by the funds requested are an enhanced hands-on learning experience for students utilizing the labs which will better prepare them to enter the workforce, improve student outcomes, and increase accommodation to meet the higher demand for more students into the Radiologic Technology Program,” Allbritten’s submission reads.

Money specifically will go toward two on-campus energized labs that would “provide a dynamic platform for students to acquire practical knowledge before their clinical exams, real-time feedback, and mentorship from experienced faculty and staff, thus, allowing for FSW to increase its admittance rate to potentially accommodate up to 60 additional students per year who can enter the workforce.”

The Senate and House have agreed to include the project in the budget. But that may not be the only money the school receives.

Both the House and Senate also have money set aside for the school’s Institute of Innovation and Emerging Technologies. Botana has requested $1.5 million for that project, though the House’s latest Higher Education offer has $2.3 million. The Senate goes beyond that and gives $3 million.

Both chambers split the cost of the project half and half between recurring and nonrecurring dollars.

But neither chamber has any plans for a third request filed by Botana on behalf of the state college. He also pursued more than $5.9 million to renovate the campus police headquarters at FSW.