It’s budget season here in the State Capitol.
I am writing to provide an update on the Michigan House appropriations process for community college budget and how it will impact Lansing Community College. Dr. Toni Glasscoe, Sandi Jones, Brandy Johnson and I have been in frequent contact over the past several weeks. Things are beginning to move in the legislature, so here is a very quick overview:
- House Bill 5779 will be voted out today, and it will include a recommended 1% increase for LCC
- As it did last year, the House recommendation will be based on a revised formula that negatively impacts LCC; the proposed appropriation also includes a “hold harmless” provision that guarantees LCC at least a 1% increase as stated above
- The Senate and Governor are strongly opposed to any changes to the formula; it is highly unlikely any final budget will be based on this attempt to revise the formula for community colleges
- We are hearing that the budget process may move quickly now, and that the LCC appropriation may eventually be greater than the 2.3% increase we included in the budget forecast
Dr. Glasscoe has done incredible work during this process, and the efforts of Sandi Jones and Brandy Johnson have also been instrumental. Don Wilske and our LCC team have been monitoring the situation closely. While we are not happy with the attempt to revise the formula again, this budget has the potential to be very beneficial for LCC and community colleges.
