News Releases
News from
Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon
Public information officer: Joan Aschim, (541) 463-5591, aschimj@lanecc.edu
for release
July 12, 2002
Veto could cost LCC another $8 million this year
EUGENE – Just one month after the Lane Community College Board of Education adopted a budget $5 million smaller than the year before, an additional $8 million cut became a possibility.
Governor John Kitzhaber announced on Thursday that he may veto a legislative bill to delay the final state payment for community colleges this year into the next biennium to avoid further cuts to community colleges this year. A veto would result in an additional 25 percent cut of $56 million from community college funding, including an $8 million cut to Lane Community College, or 11 percent of its 2002/03 budget.
“We cannot sustain such a drastic cut,” said President Mary Spilde, who attended the governor’s press conference on Thursday. “I understand the governor’s position that delaying payment is a short-term fix, but the reality is that we’re already into the academic year. An $8 million cut now means we would have to cancel hundreds of classes and lay off employees without time for public input. The impact on students and the community would be severe.”
Backing up the president’s concerns are second-week enrollment reports for summer term at Lane which show a 10.9 percent increase in credit FTE (full-time-equivalent) enrollment compared with the same time a year ago. The community’s need for professional-technical training and transfer classes clearly remains strong.
Spilde said the governor wants to hear from people on the issue. She and Oregon’s other community college presidents have asked to meet with the governor to explain the devastating impact of a veto. Cuts could target workforce training, professional-technical education, transfer classes, services to business, and other programs and services in local demand.
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