2008 Woodie Awards
Board OKs $116.8 million budget
Ricklyn Hukriede
Issue date: 7/9/08 Section: News
LBCC starts the 2008-09 school year with an unrestricted general fund totaling $116.8 million before paying academic salaries, classified benefits and supplies and services, leaving the college forced to tap into its reserves.
On Tuesday night, June 24, the Board of Trustees approved the budget.
Trustee Tom Clark said, "We are being too optimistic about this budget. We won't be able to wither another year with spent deficit."
No funding is left in the reserves for facilities maintenance, technology replacements and support.
Trustees seemed indifferent about the California federal funding arriving on time.
Financial relief is not expected to arrive until Thanksgiving, the latest in LBCC's history.
LBCC Vice President Ann-Marie Gabel said LBCC receives funding from federal, state and local sources. Federal funds include student financial aid and the small business development center. The Lottery and Cal Works contributions are from the states funds. Local support comes from property taxes and 2008 Measure E proceeds.
A goal that the college will be achieving this year is repaying all indebtedness to certificates of participation, central plants of equipment and Honeywell energy saving equipment with the 2008 bond.
Student Trustee Kathryn Brown said, "It is unfortunate there is a deficit but it does occur from time to time. I'm sure those in charge of allocating budget money are doing everything in their power to bring the budget to a satisfactory level."
LBCC will face future budget challenges such as maintaining new facilities with limited staffing, identifying means to restore ending balance and preventing future deficit spending.
Trustee Jeff Kellogg said, "If this Community College was an enterprise, we would have to declare bankruptcy. However, we should be proud that we set resources aside when we had them."
Another topic discussed was the upcoming evaluation of LBCC by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
LBCC is taking precautions to exceed the standards by preparing to correct any deficiencies necessary in all programs, Trustee Roberto Uranga said.
Kellogg asked what causes colleges to lose their accreditation. commission representative Barbara Beno said, "Lack of data review collected from students, failure to integrated planning efforts and government issues."
By Fall 2012, the college should be at a complete proficiency stage, she said.
LBCC President Eloy Oakley said, "This is a huge task. It's a paradigm from how things were done in the past."
On Tuesday night, June 24, the Board of Trustees approved the budget.
Trustee Tom Clark said, "We are being too optimistic about this budget. We won't be able to wither another year with spent deficit."
No funding is left in the reserves for facilities maintenance, technology replacements and support.
Trustees seemed indifferent about the California federal funding arriving on time.
Financial relief is not expected to arrive until Thanksgiving, the latest in LBCC's history.
LBCC Vice President Ann-Marie Gabel said LBCC receives funding from federal, state and local sources. Federal funds include student financial aid and the small business development center. The Lottery and Cal Works contributions are from the states funds. Local support comes from property taxes and 2008 Measure E proceeds.
A goal that the college will be achieving this year is repaying all indebtedness to certificates of participation, central plants of equipment and Honeywell energy saving equipment with the 2008 bond.
Student Trustee Kathryn Brown said, "It is unfortunate there is a deficit but it does occur from time to time. I'm sure those in charge of allocating budget money are doing everything in their power to bring the budget to a satisfactory level."
LBCC will face future budget challenges such as maintaining new facilities with limited staffing, identifying means to restore ending balance and preventing future deficit spending.
Trustee Jeff Kellogg said, "If this Community College was an enterprise, we would have to declare bankruptcy. However, we should be proud that we set resources aside when we had them."
Another topic discussed was the upcoming evaluation of LBCC by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
LBCC is taking precautions to exceed the standards by preparing to correct any deficiencies necessary in all programs, Trustee Roberto Uranga said.
Kellogg asked what causes colleges to lose their accreditation. commission representative Barbara Beno said, "Lack of data review collected from students, failure to integrated planning efforts and government issues."
By Fall 2012, the college should be at a complete proficiency stage, she said.
LBCC President Eloy Oakley said, "This is a huge task. It's a paradigm from how things were done in the past."
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