MONTGOMERY — The state board of education today agreed to ask lawmakers for $408 million for the two-year college system in the next fiscal year.

Mark Heinrich, chancellor of the two-year system, said the 29 percent increase over current year funding would only put the 25-school system back to about 2008-level funding.

“We’ve sustained that decrease in the last four to five years,” he said.

The additional funding is also needed to carry out the system's workforce development goals under the state’s new Accelerate Alabama plan, an initiative to increase economic development over the next three years.

The funding request now goes to lawmakers in early 2013.

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