College leaders hail budget

However, officials say they need more funds

By Rob Cullivan

The Gresham Outlook, Jun 12, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (2 Reader comments)

Community college leaders hailed proposed state funding endorsed this week by the Education Subcommittee of the Legislature’s Joint Ways and Means Committee. However, they added that it still didn’t fully meet the needs of their institutions.

The subcommittee endorsed a $511 million biennium budget for Oregon’s 17 community colleges, and the funding proposal is now headed to the full Ways and Means Committee. Community college advocates noted the proposal was far more than the $458 million budget originally proposed by the Ways and Means Committee earlier this year. The subcommittee’s proposal is also larger than the $483 million proposed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

Citing rising tuition costs, declining enrollment, program cuts and facility needs, community college advocates had wanted $529 million, but appreciated the proposed increase over the originally suggested funding, said Al Sigala, spokesman for Mt. Hood Community College.

“It’s good news, but again, it’s not going to fix all the problems we’re going to face,” he said.

Courtney Sproule, spokeswoman for the Oregon Student Association, also welcomed the news.

“Students are excited that we’re clearly moving in the right direction with funding for community colleges,” she said, adding that the increase parallels proposed funding increases for kindergarten-through-12 programs and universities. “However,” she said, “there is much more work to be done before we can truly get community colleges back on track after years of state disinvestment.”

Sigala added that Mt. Hood would wait and see what the final community college budget is before deciding how to spend any outlays to his school.

Rep. Larry Galizio, D-Tigard, who chairs the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education and teaches at Portland Community College, predicted the proposed funding figure would remain the same and could even slightly increase when the state budget is wrapped up.

He added that two factors played into the proposed funding increases – a healthy May state revenue forecast and the public response to the original smaller proposed funding.

The Ways and Means Committee conducted public hearings throughout the state, including one at Portland Community College in April, and community college advocates – “the people who attend, teach at, work at” such schools – were present in large numbers at all of them, he said.

“It was really very impressive,” Galizio said.

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