The state Department of Education is asking lawmakers for more adult education money while local educators argue that strengthening in-school programs for at-risk students is a better long-term solution.

Officials contend that increasing the allotment for 17- to 21-year-old adult education students from $150 to $1,000 a year would help them graduate more quickly. Program officials also have requested a $250 per pupil increase, also from $150, for students older than 21.

"That's a drop in the bucket compared to what regular students receive," said Maxine Stevenson, director of Beaufort County Adult Education. "The requirements are increasing and, therefore, it's more expensive to operate programs."

For the 2004-05 school year, the allocation for each regular student is $1,827, with $318 of that coming from the state, said John Williams, district spokesman.

Although the number of 17- to 21-year-olds in adult education has decreased statewide over the past two years -- from 25,295 in 2002-03 to 15,458 in 2003-04 -- programs are becoming more costly to run, state and local educators have said.

But too many teens are dropping out and entering adult education programs when they should be re-enrolling or staying in high school to earn their diplomas, Battery Creek Principal Rodney Jenkins said.

"We have to begin thinking out of the box," he said. "We should have legitimate alternative learning programs in school."

Beaufort County is seeing steady numbers of dropouts seeking high school diplomas and General Education Development certificates, or GEDs, through the county's adult education programs, state and county adult education officials said.

About 1,000 students, almost half of whom are ages 16 to 24, have been enrolled in the high school diploma, GED and literacy adult education programs in Beaufort County in the past three years, according to Beaufort County Adult Education reports. Last school year, 139 adult education students in Beaufort County were 16 to 18 years old.

The school board must approve all applications for adult education from students under 19.

Gov. Mark Sanford, in his budget proposal for 2005-06 released earlier this month, recommended holding the current adult education budget at $23.2 million.

Educators say it's not enough.

"Money is always tight," said Cherry Daniel, the state Education Department's director of adult education.

The state's adult and community education program can't afford to hire highly qualified full-time teachers at competitive salaries and often relies on part-time teachers with little training in working with students at risk of failing, Daniel said.

The $850 per pupil increase state educators are hoping to receive for 17- to 21-year-old adult education students would allow local educators to solve that problem, she said.

School board member Rick Caporale supports an increase in adult education funding, but the long-term effects of credit recovery programs would reduce students' reliance on adult education.

"I'd prefer to see the kids stay in school, but I feel adult education is underfunded and not given the attention it deserves," Caporale said.

Students should be funded at the same level whether they are in traditional school or adult education, he said.

Should lawmakers decide not to make any increase in adult education and the school district finds resources in its budget, Caporale said he would support increasing school district money for adult education in Beaufort County.

School districts are not required to support adult education programs but most do, said David Stout, the state's GED administrator at the Department of Education.

Establishing more extensive credit recovery programs in high schools essentially will eliminate a historical trend of students enrolling in adult education who have only missed one or two classes toward graduation, local school officials said.

Credit recovery programs allow students to stay in school and take intensive, self-paced classes to make up lost or failed credits.

"We're catching most of them and keeping them in school," said Walter Hawk, vice principal at Beaufort High School.

But credit recovery is not for every student. Students who have fallen behind in their classes before their senior year and those who have several classes to make up may be better suited for adult education, he said.

"Credit recovery is not practical for students who come back (to school) after several months and try to finish 10 credits, but it's a different story if it's for two credits," Hawk said.

Hilton Head High Principal Helen Ryan said the school had a credit-recovery program last year. The program, serving 26 students, was held right after school for English and math.

"We did not do it this year because our enrollment was so positive that we were able to assist students in their regular schedule," Ryan said.

The school is working on improving student achievement and retention by targeting ninth-graders with three learning academies: Flight School, Law and Justice, and International.

"Classes are much smaller, so students have more personalized interaction with their teachers," she said. "What we're seeing there is increased attendance and better success in college-prep courses."

Beaufort High has been implementing, subject by subject, a credit recovery program that will be fully operational next month.

Almost 40 students are enrolled in credit recovery courses so far this year, Hawk said.

Even students at Battery Creek High are applying for Beaufort High's credit recovery program, he said.

Last year, 38 graduates who took a math recovery course, one of which came from Battery Creek High, would not have completed school if they had not gone through the program, said Principal Dan Durbin.

Students at Battery Creek High drop out or enter adult education for a number of reasons, including a lack of interest in school, missing credits toward graduation, illness, pregnancy and behavior problems, Jenkins said.

Some students simply need alternative types of learning that better matches their needs, he said.

Aretha Rhone-Bush, principal of Bluffton High School, couldn't be reached for comment Friday. The school opened this past fall with more than 1,000 students and, like Hilton Head High, has developed its own program to help rising ninth-graders make the often difficult transition from middle school to high school.

In addition to an orientation for freshman, the school also planned to provide mentors, a character education program and monthly workshops for students and their parents, Rhone-Bush has said.