Allen County Community College students won’t pay higher tuition this fall.
College trustees de-cided Thursday that any need for higher tuition would be mitigated because the college is receiving about $251,000 in federal stimulus funds this year.
The college had a few options to consider in how to spend the $251,672, but eschewed using it for capital improvements, because of the bureaucratic strings attached, explained Steve Troxel, ACCC vice president of finance and operations.
If the trustees decided to use the money on its ongoing roof replacement project, for example, worker salaries would have had to meet federal guidelines.
“We would have had to hire somebody to pay their employees about $30 an hour to do the work,” Troxel said. “I don’t think anybody would do that.”
And, Troxel noted, the money goes away after the upcoming academic year.
The college isn’t coming out as far ahead as it might appear, Troxel said, because ACCC also will lose about $200,000 in state technology funds.
In a related matter, trustees put in place ACCC’s proposed operating budget for 2010-11.
The college’s ad valorem mill levy, estimated at 16.9 mills, is essentially unchanged from last year, and still lower than it was 10 or even 20 years ago.
Roughly 30 percent of ACCC’s $14.9 million budget comes from its students in tuition and fees. Another 40 percent comes from the state and between 15 and 20 percent comes from auxiliary sources, such as the college’s cash reserves fund. Property taxes fund about 11 percent.
The owner of a $50,000 home would pay about $97 annually in taxes to support the college. That figure does not include taxes paid to unified school districts, the county or specific municipalities.
ENROLLMENT at the college is up again for the summer session, although early enrollment projections for the fall are lower than expected.
Randy Weber, vice president for student affairs, said enrollment increased about 5.6 percent in total hours taken and 3.2 percent in head count from the 2009 session.
Fall enrollment, however, is down 13 percent. Saving grace is that number is certain to change, Weber said, as students sign up for classes as the fall semester approaches. Still, he noted that the college is losing students after ending its affiliation with Allied Health last year.
TRUSTEES AGREED to pay Advantage Computer Enterprises of Iola $12,325 to replace a computer lab at the college outreach campus in Burlingame.
The ACE bid was actually the highest of three. However, trustees rejected the lowest bid of $10,744 from Cybertron PC of Emporia because of difficulties the college had in getting repairs done to a computer lab purchased from that vendor a few years ago. The second lowest bid, $11,678 from Ohio-based Global GovEd, was only about $700 less than ACE’s, prompting the trustees to pick the local firm.
Trustees also accepted a bid from Midland Fence Co. of Emporia to replace the outfield fence surrounding the college’s softball field. Midland’s bid of $8,485 was the lower of two.
The college approved hiring John M. Rasmussen, an attorney from the Kansas Association of School Boards, to represent both the college and Burlingame USD 464, to continue ACCC’s lease agreement with the school district. The good-faith agreement essentially ensures the college will retain its presence in Burlingame for the next 10 years.
The school district provides ACCC a district building for its outreach campus rent-free. The college is responsible for maintenance and upkeep.
TRUSTEES adopted new no-smoking policies to adhere to changes in Kansas law that forbid smoking within 10 feet of any entrance or window on the college grounds.
Trustees also approved handbooks for students, residence hall occupants, program coordinators and adjunct faculty.
Thursday’s meeting — first of the 2010-11 academic year — marked the first for Regena Bailey-Aye, dean for online learning, and AnDrea Cleaves, dean for the Iola campus.
Trustees approved several procedural moves. Spencer Ambler was appointed trustee chairman and Harvey Rogers vice chairman. Other trustees were appointed to specific boards or given other responsibilities.
The board will continue to meet at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. One exception will be at the September meeting, postponed to Sept. 16 to avoid conflicting with a Kansas Association of Community College Trustees conference.
In a related matter, trustees renewed the college’s KACCT dues, totaling $16,225.
TRUSTEES offered a contract to Erin O’Keefe to teach English at the Burlingame campus. They accepted resignations from Amy Whitcomb as a psychology instructor at the Iola campus, Melissa Chandler as a developmental specialist and Trista McVey as a receptionist at the Iola campus,.
