News Releases
News from
Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon
Public information officer: Joan Aschim, (541) 463-5591, aschimj@lanecc.edu
for release December 3, 2004
Governor's budget and unsettled funding formula will impact local students, workers and businesses
The ability of Lane Community College to stimulate the local economy through workforce training and to meet the educational needs of working people and students depends on two outcomes in Salem.
First is how the legislature revises the governor’s budget released December 1. The governor’s budget reduces funding to community colleges by 5.5 percent while increasing funding to most other state-supported services. In the education sector, for example, universities will receive 2.1 percent more, and K-12 will receive 1.7 percent more. Funding for capital construction at six community colleges does not include Lane, and increased funding for state financial aid applies only to full-time students and excludes most community college students who attend school part-time while also working and supporting a family.
Second is the community college formula for distributing funding. This is currently under review by the State Board of Education, which is not expected to make a decision until the new year. It makes it more difficult for Lane to develop budget projections for its 2005/06 budget with the state funding formula still undetermined, in addition to not knowing the outcome of the legislative process.
“Our community and board, students and staff should prepare for another round of difficult budget decisions,” says President Mary Spilde. “The governor wants to turn the economy around and the best way to do that is to fund community colleges. We are the premier providers of workforce training. If community colleges are cut to the extent recommended in the governor’s budget, fewer students, workers and businesses will be served.”
The president acknowledges that Oregon’s financial situation is difficult, “but it is unfortunate that funding was actually cut for community colleges. Employers depend on Lane to train people for jobs. Workforce training is the only short term solution to economic recovery."
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