Colleges fight for funding

Montana community colleges are heading back to Helena this week, hoping to convince lawmakers not to chip away at the institutions’ state funding.

The Montana Legislature has suggested cutting up to $3 million in state spending toward Montana community colleges. Those cuts would impact Flathead Valley Community College, Miles Community College and Dawson Community College.

The state’s budget is House Bill 2. FVCC President Jane Karas said when the educational component of the bill arrived at the House Appropriations Committee on March 10 for executive action, the committee restored roughly $1.3 million of the $3 million suggested cuts.

“But we’re still down $1.7 million for all three colleges,” Karas said.

The educational component of House Bill 2 is set for a hearing before the Senate Finance and Claims Committee on Wednesday, March 22 at 8 a.m.

“In that process, hopefully we’ll get a little more money back,” Karas said.

She said because FVCC has a larger student body compared to the other two colleges, it would see $1.2 million in cuts over the next two years if the current funding formula proposal survives through the Legislature.

The community college funding formula is based on each school’s number of full-time students, the cost of education per student and a baseline budget from a previous year.

When Gov. Steve Bullock released his 2019 biennium budget proposal last November, his formula changes sought to reduce state spending on community colleges by roughly $1.7 million over the biennium.

Karas said in recent years, state funding has made up between 35 to 45 percent of FVCC’s budget.

House Bill 2 is scheduled to move onto the Senate floor after it passes out of the Senate Finance and Claims Committee. Any changes to the bill would go back to the House for approval.

To listen to the Senate Finance and Claims Committee hearing, go to http://leg.mt.gov.

Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.