State legislators have been given two more weeks to make North Carolinians sweat about what will be funded or not funded, but the Community Enrichment Organization (CEO) already knows its fate.

Even with the budget extension deadline of July 15, CEO knows some of its programs will not be funded during the 2009-10 fiscal year.

The program that will receive the biggest hit is Support Our Students (SOS), a program that has been in existence through CEO since 1993, and received funding from the state since 1994.

The latest allotment was $87,000, which carried the program through the school year and the last two weeks in June for a basketball camp, but the lack of funding has made the program come to a halt.

"To my understanding, it is totally wiped out," said Gwendolyn Knight, former SOS program coordinator.

Knight has been with CEO for seven years. She started off as a van driver.

Knight, along with five part-time staff members were laid off Tuesday, the last day of the 2008-09 fiscal year. Those staff members include van driver Greg Higgs and four site managers, Teresa Glass, Linda Black, Dorothy Terry and Deborah Rouzier.

"That's six people joining the unemployment role," said Doris Stith, CEO director.

In years past, Support Our Students was able to retrieve enough funding to have summer programs in July, and have staff development early August.

This year, not only is the program in jeopardy of not reopening, but because of 2008-09 budget shortfalls, the $87,000 grant allotment provided by the state Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention was cut by 7 percent.

The program handled the reversion by cutting supplies instead of people.

Stith said that she is looking into seeing if any of the stimulus money can be applied to help the program, as well as focusing on more grant writing.

The program operated at Martin Middle School, Pattillo A+ School, Princeville Montessori School and Pioneer Courts Apartments from 3-6 p.m. in an effort to keep children engaged in educational activities during the peak times they could get involved in crime. The program served 146 students last year.

“What hurt me the most about losing the program is the kids,” Knight said. “Parents have called me asking where their children can go,” she said.

Knight said although she refers them to summer programs at churches or other locations, she is still concerned because most programs have a deadline, a cap on the number they can serve, and the recreation department charges for out-of-town residents.