State budgets no new money for CC

Clarendon College came out even when the Texas Legislature approved the state budget early this week.

CC President Myles Shelton said the budget contains $1.7 billion for community colleges with no new money for the local college.

“We got the same money as we did the last two years,” he said.

Early in the legislative session, community colleges across the state were hoping to see increases in funding; but as the session wore on, the colleges ended up working to not lose any money.

Shelton said, across the state, 14 community colleges received no new money.

State retirement contributions will go up from 6.0 percent to 6.5 percent, and Shelton said the Legislature did appropriate slightly higher amounts for health insurance but that will likely be offset by higher premiums this fall.

While funding for CC stayed even with the last biennium, the college’s appropriation is still approximately $236,000 less than its funding level in 2002-2003 despite increasing enrollment.

In other college news, the CC Board of Regents met in regular session last Thursday and approved several items. Lightning-damaged equipment was replaced at a cost of more than $11,000 to be paid for by insurance, and regents authorized a final payment of $4,050 for work on the gym floor.

The board re-awarded a roofing bid on the Downtown Automotive Center to Paramount Builders & Roofers after the original contractor notified the college that it would not be able to do the work.

Regents accepted a new policy that sets up a system of faculty rank. Shelton said CC has not historically had ranked faculty – titles of professor, associate professor, etc. – but that such a system was mentioned in the college’s last master plan.

The CC Faculty Senate unanimously approved the plan, which was endorsed by Shelton before being ratified by the board last week. The ranking system does not grant tenure to any faculty members.

Regents also reviewed and approved a new crisis management plan, which Shelton says is the first step toward addressing safety issues that came to light during the last semester.

The board set August 2, 2007, as the date for a budget workshop retreat. A public hearing on next year’s budget will be August 16.

In personnel matters, the board accepted the resignation of CC Pampa Center custodian Cliff Sandin.

At a called meeting on May 3, Regents approved a bid for $31,250 from Craig Dane to construct a 30-foot by 125-foot hay barn and ratified the employment of Doug Kidd as the college’s motor pool specialist and Candra McKee as softball coach and student activity director.