Topeka ? Students in the Lawrence school district and their families may be asked to pay more out of their own pocket next year for taking career and technical education courses that lead to earning an industry-recognized job training certificate.

Patrick Kelly, who directs the district’s career and technical education program, said that’s because lawmakers did not appropriate enough money to fully fund the $1,000 incentive payments that districts are supposed to receive for each student who graduates with an industry-recognized certificate.

“The simple fact is that they underestimated the popularity of this program,” Kelly said.

Under the program enacted in 2012, high school students can receive free tuition to take certain job-training courses at community or technical colleges while they are still in high school. In addition, the program was supposed to pay districts $1,000 for each student who graduated high school with an industry-recognized certificate in fields deemed to be in high demand in Kansas.

In a memo distributed last week, however, the State Department of Education said those incentive payments, which are supposed to be distributed by Tuesday, will probably be closer to $450 per student.

Kelly said the Lawrence district had been using that money to reimburse students for the cost of books and fees associated with those courses. He said some of the money is also used to pay for expanding career and technical education programs in the district.

But with the cut in expected state support, he said, the Lawrence district will have less money available to pay those costs.

“”Unfortunately, it means we have to pass on the cost of those college courses for those students,” Kelly said. “When the legislation says there’s free college credit, it’s really free college tuition. Then there are fees on top of that.”

So far, he said, the district has been focusing on students enrolled in courses to obtain a certified nursing assistant, or CNA certificate. But starting next year, the district will open its new College and Career Center that will offer additional training in bioscience, health care, law and government, and other fields.

He said the district expects about 120 students to attend classes at the new center next year. That center is adjacent to the new Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center which will offer adult training and education programs geared toward the needs of Lawrence-area businesses.

Both the school district and the adult training center will contract with area community colleges and technical schools to offer courses at the combined campus.