Board reviews fiscal future

Wednesday, May 11, 2005 1:14 PM PDT

Larry Meyer Argus Observer

ONTARIO

Treasure Valley Community College officials are working to complete their budget proposal for the 2005 to 2006 fiscal year, and they appear optimistic about what they believe the state legislature will approve for community colleges for the next biennium.

However, even with an expected boost in state funding, TVCC officials are still proposing a $3 increase in tuition, raising it to $65 per credit.

Addressing the legislative picture during the TVCC board meeting Tuesday, TVCC President Jim Sorensen said in the worst case scenario, funding for community college would be about $416 million. Best case, he said, would push the funding to nearly $440. The most likely scenario, he said, is $426 million to $428 million.

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"It changes every day," Sorensen said. "It depends on what other demands there are," he said. He said, however, overall the fiscal picture for community colleges is brighter. According to figures supplied by Randy Griffin, TVCC dean of administrative services, the college is projected to reap about $5.042 million for the next fiscal year from the state, based on the current allocation formula. That would be an increase of $559,705 for the college, he said. He also noted, however, that the money received for the current fiscal year is a lower amount than what the college received in 1994. In his report, Sorensen said officials are also planning to include two additional faculty positions, one in the social science department, mainly teaching history and a person to teach GIS/geography.

He is also budgeting $135,000 for small remodeling projects, Sorensen said.

"We try to maintain the service level we have," he said, explaining the administration's position. "We try to maintain the quality level."

Still, at least one TVCC board member said he was uncomfortable with a boost in tuition.

"I've never been excited over raising student tuition," David Sullivan, board chair, said. He asked administrators to look at other areas to see if they could find funds elsewhere.

Dennis Gill, chair of the English Department, said he felt budgets are already tight because of low state funding.

"I don't believe there is any fluff," he said, adding it is time to take care of faculty needs.The other proposed increase would see the universal fee that all students pay raised to $6 from $5, to help pay for parking improvements. As part of the dorm project bonding, officials included funds to pave all gravel parking lots and driveways on campus. Griffin said that includes a driveway around the Weese Building to connect the north parking lot with the south parking area and the driveway out to S.W. 11th Avenue.

He said there will be diagonal parking all along the driveway. Also there will be a new parking lot constructed parallel to S.W. Fifth Street, which will have diagonal parking and have room for about 110 cars. With that facility in place, he said the college is looking at asking the city to ban parking on the college's side of the Fifth Street.