Dec 3, 2009

  

 

 

Barbour’s budget calls for extensive financial cuts
By: T.J.Jernigan

Gov. Haley Barbour’s budget proposal for the Fiscal Year 2011 was released at the end of last month, calling for nearly every state agency to cut their spending and tighten their budgets. Educational communities, especially colleges, were not exempt from those budget cuts.

In his proposal, the Governor insisted that community and junior colleges, despite having record enrollment this year, must find ways to save money. 

“We at Northwest are very fortunate. This year we were blessed with a great enrollment. However, we have already taken a $1.2 million cut this year and may sustain another cut,” said President Dr. Gary Lee Spears. 

Barbour says there is no reason for each of Mississippi’s 15 two-year institutions to have their own “back room” operations such as payroll, insurance, and purchasing. Instead, he suggests a single such administrative operation should be set up with the same functions as all the IHL universities.
Under his proposal, some institutions must consider the elimination of campuses, particularly satellite campuses, and others could be forced to merge with other schools.

He says that as a state, we must review eliminating or downsizing intercollegiate athletics at the two-year level, which Barbour says cost the state almost $20 million in FY 2007.
In order to eliminate duplicative training and provide students with career pathways starting in high school, Barbour says public schools should move toward stronger partnerships with community and junior college career and technical programs.

He wants schools to adopt an integrated funding approach that supports dual enrollment and dual credit opportunities to allow high school students to learn a trade while earning credits toward both a high school diploma and community college credential or associate degree.
In his budget, Barbour addressed the value of two-year institutions and stressed that workforce training will help pull Mississippi out of the economic downturn. Barbour’s budget does not reduce funding for those types of workforce initiatives.

According to the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges, community colleges trained 159,922 individual workers, conducted 19,095 workforce training classes and issued 5,317 Career Readiness Certificates.

Community colleges are a crucial asset to our state that provides post-secondary education and training to more than 275,000 people every year. They make access to an education more affordable and available to more people and play a vital role in our state’s economy.
“We don't see this financial situation as 'gloom and doom,' but we are mindful of the predictions of government economists concerning revenue projections. I do expect some lean times in the near future,” Spears said.

When it comes to making budget cuts and the reduction of spending for FY2011, let’s hope our state legislators will remember the value of community colleges and the important role they play in Mississippi’s future.

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