Dateline: September 25, 2003

CC still feeling effects of state budget cuts

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Clarendon College Regents approved a $5.5 million operating budget for the 2003-2004 fiscal year during their regular meeting last Thursday.

The board also adopted a tax increase for the Clarendon College District, which changes the ad valorem rate from $0.183240 per $100 valuation to $0.1987, an increase in the rate of slightly more than 1½ cents. The total local tax levy accounts for only $294,275 in income for the college.

The increase this year will cost the owner of a $50,000 property an additional $7.73 per year.

CC President Myles Shelton said the tax increase was necessary in the face of funding cuts on the state level. Clarendon College’s direct state appropriation for fiscal year 2004 is $356,887 less than FY 2003.

“We can’t make it all up, but there is a portion we had to make up to continue to operate,” Shelton said. “If we were fully funded, then we would be better off.”

Community colleges in Texas haven’t been fully funded since 1985, Shelton said. Now, the state is only paying about 51% of the cost of community college education expenses.

Earlier this year, state budget cuts led to staff reductions and increases in the tuition and fees paid by students, and Shelton said Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn has as much as said that the state budget was balanced on the backs of teachers, schools, and colleges.

“…the share of the state budget reductions borne by school folks will total $1.1 billion in the next two years,” Strayhorn wrote in the September issue of her Fiscal Notes newsletter.

Shelton said the Legislature this spring mandated the formation of a study group to make recommendations about the future funding of higher education in Texas. The findings of the study group will not be released until 2005.

In other college business, regents received updates on construction projects now underway or nearing completion.

CC is nearing the closeout phases of the Livestock & Equine Center (LEC) and the softball field, both of which were built with donated money. The LEC is expected to be ready in October. The new dorm is operational and full of students. It was built with revenue bonds, which are funded by student fees.

Work continues on a new library facility, which has been mandated by the college’s accrediting agency and will be built with donated money. CC expects to have blueprints next month and to begin construction by late December or the first part of 2004.

Regents discussed a possible lease of CC’s property near Conway to a renewable energy company, but no action was taken.

A Request For Proposals (RFP) was discussed for a new motor coach, but the board decided to reject all the proposals.

In personnel issues, the board hired Cliff Sandin as a custodian at the CC Pampa Center, and regents learned of Ranch & Feedlot Operations instructor Jerry Gage’s intention to retire after the current school year.