Board discusses proposal for funding cuts by state

By Shelly Williams/editor-in-chief

As the Legislature delves more into the discussion of budget cuts for higher education, Chancellor Erma Johnson Hadley said it’s not yet time to worry.

During the Jan. 20 board meeting, Hadley said the Legislature has proposed significant cuts to community colleges, but economist Bud Weinstein reminded her that the Legislature’s proposals aren’t set in stone yet.

“He reminded us that generally the Legislature starts out not quite telling the whole picture about the finances,” she said.

The biggest issue TCC will face with the proposed cuts at this point involve the lack of funding for an almost 82 percent cut in health benefits, Hadley said.

“That’s huge for all community colleges,” she said. “So that will be a big issue for us. The other issue would be they would not give us the formula funding with the growth that we have had.”

With the state not funding the growth of community colleges, it begs the question of what will happen to the large enrollment increases TCC has recently experienced.

“We are the people’s college,” she said. “One of the things I know we’ll do is raise our class size. I’m absolutely convinced that no matter what happens in Austin, we’re going to be equal to the challenges of continuing to serve the people who come to us for service.”

In other business, board members voted unanimously to take part in a tax deferment with the city of Euless.

The agreement will help start Glade Parks, a commercial and residential development 5.9 miles from NE Campus.

TCC will contribute $1.869 million over the next 15 years of the 25-year project period but hopes to receive around $7.2 million in return for the investment.

“We’re not giving $1.8 million,” board president Joe Hudson said. “We’re forgoing $1.8 million in taxes that we would never have gotten anyway because the value on that is going to increase. So the amount of money that Tarrant County College District is giving up is not there.”