SCCC/ATS Faces Tough Decisions

The SCCC/ATS Board of Trusteees met Monday facing a number of potential reductions in operating costs or anticipated increases including: anticipated reduction in the state’s community college operating grant of 400 thousand dollars; anticipated reduction in post-secondary aid for the area technical school of 186-thousand dollars; reduction in technology grant and vocational capital outlay (ATS) grant of 14-thousand dollars; faculty salary increase of 3.75 percent or approximately 113-thousand dollars based on the two-year negotiated agreement established in 2008; and health insurance increase of 21 percent for an estimated total employee benefit cost of approximately 2.5 million dollars. The administration presented the board with a list of items the college could potentially cut from its budget to help offset the reduction in state aid and other expenditures. The college will consider changes in the well pay policy, professional development grants, travel, incidental expenses, supplemental contracts, hiring freeze, reduction in overload pay and adjunct contracts, reassignment of positions, reduction in capital equipment purchases and capital improvement projects. Ed Poley, director of the technical school, told the board that the SWKTS Foundation would suspend all operations and donate its assetts to the SCCC Development Foundation. Ron Oliver was sworn in as a member of the board of trustees after being re-elected to the board.