PLATTSBURGH — Clinton Community College will ask Clinton County to contribute an additional $89,000 to the college for the 2012-13 academic year.
The increase would bring the county’s annual sponsored share of the college’s funding to $2,465,040.
Clinton Community College President John Jablonski said that, with the additional contribution, the increase in county funding would average 1.6 percent annually for the past three years.
For the 2011-12 academic year, the county’s share increased by $25,000; however, for 2010-11, the college asked for and received only a $1 increase from the county.
In addition, the school will utilize $436,220 of fund balance in 2012-13 to offset reductions in state aid.
Over the past three years, the college has experienced a 21 percent reduction in state aid, and although the state has restored some of the previously cut funding for 2012-13, “we still have a long way to go,” Jablonski said.
“This is really our opportunity to use our fund balance to come up with a balanced budget for next year.”
Clinton Community’s Board of Trustees adopted the college’s 2012-13 spending plan, which contains an unrestricted operating budget of $15.6 million and a restricted sponsored program budget of $5.7 million for grant-funded programming, at a recent board meeting.
The board-approved spending plan does not call for the elimination of any programs, according to Jablonski, but the college has implemented several cost-saving measures, including leaving a number of positions vacant, realigning employee benefits during union negotiations and spending less on equipment and supplies.
“We are taking measures to reduce expenses as we can,” he said.
The college will also raise its tuition for in-state, full-time students from $3,620 to $3,820 in 2012-13, an increase of 5.5 percent.
In 2011-12, Clinton Community’s student enrollment was down from the previous academic year, however, Jablonski said, the decrease was simply an indication that enrollment had returned to “prerecession levels.”
He explained that the school enrolled the equivalent of 1,566 full-time students in 2011-12 and 1,150 in 2009-10.
In 2010-11, however, the college experienced an all-time enrollment high with the equivalent of 1,622 full-time students, which, Jablonski said, was likely the result of massive layoffs at Pfizer facilities in Plattsburgh, Rouses Point and Chazy, as well as other area businesses in 2010.
Jablonski will present the college’s 2012-13 budget and request for additional county funding to the Clinton County Finance Committee at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Legislative Chambers of the Clinton County Government Center at 137 Margaret St. Following the presenta
tion, the County Legislature will vote on the college’s proposal during its regular meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. Both sessions are open to the public.
Email Ashleigh Livingston:
alivingston@pressrepublican.com
