LaVonne McKinstry-Taylor's initial goal was to learn to read better so she could read the Bible.

Her first visit to the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council about eight years ago has led to that and more.

She has been able to obtain a commercial driver's license, has gone from cleaning buildings to driving a school bus and has helped her three children, all of whom have graduated from high school.

"I always thought I couldn't better myself because I had a hard time reading," said McKinstry-Taylor of Penn Hills.

Now, adult education programs, such as those offered by the literacy council, are faced with a potential cut of 75 percent in federal funds.

For some local agencies that provide adult education such as GED preparation, English as a second language and basic and workplace skills, federal money covers a large share of the bills.

If the cuts are approved, federal money for adult education in Pennsylvania would drop from $19.3 million this year to $4.8 million next year.

In addition, the proposal calls for eliminating $7.4 million for Even Start, a family literacy program that includes adults.

This proposal isn't new -- it was part of a budget proposal President Bush made in February -- but it has had more shelf life than some expected, raising worries that such programs are in jeopardy.

"The cost to society is going to be great if these programs can be cut, not only in the cost in terms of quality of life for people, but actually what they can contribute to society and what they will cost society if they're not educated and not working," said Mary Mulroy, director of adult education and workforce development at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, which serves about 2,000 adults.

In his budget request to Congress, President Bush said he wanted to reduce the money because a federal evaluation said it was difficult to assess its effectiveness.

JoAnn Weinberger, legislative chair for the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education, said the data she's seen are "very positive" and federal officials are looking at old or incomplete data.

At Goodwill Industries, Emmett Baxendell, director of education, said it counts on the federal funds for about 90 percent of the money for its adult education programs, which last year served more than 1,200 students.

If the cuts take place, Baxendell said, more than $300,000 could be affected. Goodwill's money comes from the state, but, if the federal cuts hold, he anticipates the pain would be spread around.

"We would have a drastic reduction in services," he said.

The cuts also would affect the Bidwell Training Center, which receives about $180,000 a year in government funds for an adult literacy program that serves about 400.

"We would be looking around at that point to find other funding sources to help us maintain those programs. They're very key to the vocational programs we offer," said Jesse Fife, chief operating officer of the Manchester Bidwell Corp.

Community College of Allegheny County receives about $100,000 in federal and state money for adult education, and had 276 students this spring.

"Obviously, it would severely impact the number of students we could serve," said Charles Blocksidge, vice president of the Center for Learning/Organizational Development at CCAC. "These are the kinds of programs that serve as a safety net for people who for whatever reason have not had the opportunity to finish their high school education and move on."

At the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, executive director Donald Block said the agency could stand to lose $600,000, about one-fourth of its operating expenses. The council, which serves about 3,500 students a year, also receives money from private donors.

The council spends about $600 a year per student, which means that services for as many as 1,000 students are threatened.

Because the city school district closed the Connelley Technical Institute and Adult Education Center, the council in January opened a Downtown center to offer classes such as adult basic education, English as a second language and GED preparation.

About 250 people are using the center, and about 200 are on a waiting list.

Block said the investment in adult education saves money in the long run "by making people independent and self-sufficient."

The proposed cuts also are disappointing to those who have been served by such programs.

"I just hope that the people who want to cut the money will change their opinion," said Frank Davitian, who came here six years ago from Bulgaria with his wife and two children.

"It will be wrong. From my point of view as a newcomer, I know these people are helping us a lot," he said.

Davitian of Mt. Lebanon learned to speak English through the literacy council well enough that he could move from a soldering job to one in which he uses his engineering skills learned in Bulgaria. He now is a homeowner and this month became an American citizen.

If the cuts take place, McKinstry-Taylor said, "There would be no hope for us who struggle to read."