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State looking to reduce community college appropriations |
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Monday, February 08 2010 |
BY BROOKE HUFF
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Community colleges throughout the state were notified in a letter from the Governor’s Office in January that they need to prepare for at least a five percent reduction in dedicated appropriations for the 2010-2011 biennium.
According to Frank Phillips College President, Dr. Herbert Swender, financial obligations from the state ate now focused on community college education; however, in the late 1960s, there was a compact between the State and local communities for community college education. With this agreement, it made it the responsibility of local communities to fund and operate college facilities, Dr. Swender said, with the State lending support for the cost of the education. Over the years, this support has slowly eroded. As a result, FPC receives fewer State dollars for providing eduction and training in its service-delivery area, which includes the top nine counties of the Texas Panhandle. Currently, Dr. Swender said, the State provides approximately 30 percent of FPC’s budget, which is significantly down from 10 years ago.
As the letter stated back in January, community colleges are being asked to prepare for a five percent reduction in appropriations, while the K-12 system has been exempt. Community colleges across Texas, he said, enroll 630,000 students annually, which represents 52 percent of all enrollment in public higher education in Texas.
“A five percent recall will present an additional challenge for the College to continue its 2009-2010 educational mission,” Dr. Swender said. “I believe the college has made substantial cuts in the past two years, and deeper cuts, with diminishing State support, will affect our ability to provide the quantity of classes and programs that our students need.”
According to Dr. Swender, the College’s response to the Governor’s Office requests consideration for rural community colleges to also be exempt from this five percent reduction.
With a strong philanthropic base of alumni and and friends, Dr. Swender said that he is confident that even though the State is undergoing economic stress, the need for education and training provided through FPC will always be met.
“Like FPC’s motto states, one can start here and go anywhere,” Dr. Swender said.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, February 09 2010 )
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