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Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Despite budget challenges Sinclair waits on tuition hike, gives merit pay
DAYTON - Sinclair Community College trustees are taking a wait-and-see approach and not raising tuition for the coming fall quarter because of the uncertainty still surrounding the state budget that is expected to include significant cuts to higher education spending.
Instead, college officials will use a $10 million “rainy day fund” to weather any immediate budget losses as they develop a more long-term spending plan, said Steven Johnson, college president.
“We are concerned, very concerned,” about the state budget, Johnson said. He added the expected reductions in the state subsidies that keep tuition low, a proposed 3.5 percent cap on tuition increases and reductions in what the school receives from a property tax levy represent “unprecedented” challenges for the school.
Pending Montgomery County declining property revaluations coupled with faster than anticipated loss of tangible personal property taxes will mean the levy that supports Sinclair will collect $5 million less next year, falling from $33 million to $28 million, said Jeff Boudouris, chief financial officer.
Sinclair expects to lose another nearly $6 million in state subsidies, or 11 percent less than this year, because stimulus money used to keep funding flat the past two years was not replaced under Gov. John Kasich’s budget proposal.
Yet, trustees approved merit pay increases for faculty and other employees that were already part of the current year’s operating budget. Trustee Robert Corbin objected because of the state budget situation.
“If there ever was a time we should slow down a little as far as raises are concerned, this is the year,” Corbin said.
Roughly 500 non-faculty are eligible for one-time “incentive pay” that will be paid in August for meeting performance goals, 153 faculty received $2,475 “merit awards” and 18 professors received tenure that includes pay increases. In all the raises, incentives and promotions cost the college about $1.5 million that was built into the current operating budget, Boudouris said.
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