Recent debate over the Governor’s proposed budget has focused on K-12 school funding, however the Governor’s proposed budget provides Maryland’s community colleges with $13 million less than current law funding levels. This week, MACo’s Education Subcommittee hosted Dr. Bernie Sadusky, Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges. Dr. Sadusky spoke with MACo’s Committee about the need to return to statutorily required funding levels as soon as possible.
Decreases in state funding put additional pressure on county governments that share responsibility with the state for funding community colleges. As reported by The Frederick News-Post, Frederick Community College (FCC) is now looking at a difficult year to fund its proposed $49 million budget. As described in the article,
. . . Gov. Larry Hogan presented a budget that reduced FCC’s funding an additional $180,000. “We did not expect that $180,000 hit,” [Community College President Elizabeth] Burmaster said. The college’s proposed 2016 budget counts on $333,000 more from the county to pay for the 1 percent COLA and $430,000 to offset an estimated drop in revenue from tuition and fees. “If the funding doesn’t come from the county, there would have to be cuts in the existing budget,” Burmaster said.
For more information, read the whole story from The Frederick News-Post here.