MACo’s Education Committee hosted Dr. Bernie Sadusky, Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC). Dr. Sadusky was joined by Jody Kallis, MACC’s Legislative Liaison.
Dr. Sadusky and Ms. Kallis spoke with the Committee about community college funding, sharing how state funding for community colleges has not kept pace with local funding. The result is that Maryland’s community college students are paying more than their share in tuition. MACo’s Education Committee has advocated on behalf of community college funding as part of recent testimony on collective bargaining in community colleges. 
Funding support for community colleges was historically intended to be split evenly among the state, the counties, and the students, each paying a third, under the John A. Cade Funding Formula established by the General Assembly. In FY2013, county governments provided a third (33%) of community college budgets, while state funding lagged at 21%, and students were left with paying 46%.
A restoration of state funding required under the Cade Funding Formula would help to remedy the current imbalance, according to Dr. Sadusky. MACo’s Education Committee agreed to support the Maryland Association of Community Colleges as they seek additional state funding. The Education Committee is currently drafting a letter to the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Budget & Taxation committees on this important issue.
For background on this issue, see our previous post on Conduit Street:
