Published April 2001

EdCC, EvCC courses
in demand, deserve support

Snohomish County is blessed with having two outstanding community colleges. The forward-thinking administrations and faculties at Everett and Edmonds community colleges offer the support needed to build a work force that will attract new businesses and family-wage jobs, as well as serve many of our existing employers’ training needs.

But both EvCC and EdCC face similar dilemmas: Demand for their course offerings has increased their enrollments so much that they face significantly reduced funding based on how state revenues are allocated to Washington’s higher learning institutions.

Strengthening higher education is the highest priority among Snohomish County advocates for maintaining and growing employment here. That’s why we, along with other county business leaders, are asking that the Legislature increase funding appropriations for full-time students at both of our community colleges.

Along with Bellevue Community College, Everett and Edmonds are the other community colleges in Washington state that serve significantly more students than are paid for by the state. EvCC will have about 550 more students this year than were budgeted by the state’s Community and Technical College system; EdCC will have about 800 additional students.

While the state provides tuition and fees for each additional student, it does not provide enrollment funds beyond the predetermined target enrollment for each college. That means institutions such as EvCC and EdCC must assume these costs for the additional students.

Without large endowments common to our four-year institutions, such as the University of Washington, community colleges serving students over their state allocation must dip into their operating funds to cover about two-thirds of the cost of each additional student.

The State Board of Higher Education has asked the state to fund 5,000 more full-time community college student slots statewide at $4,300 per student. But Gov. Gary Locke’s budget has cut the additional funding to 3,950 student slots at $4,000 each. Under the governor’s proposed budget, these increases would be funded partially by the state and partially through increased student tuition and fees.

Neither budget would cover all the colleges’ present enrollments. In the case of EvCC, the state board’s budget would cover an additional 165 students in both 2002 and 2003, 175 for EdCC. The governor’s budget would allow funding only for 76 in 2002 and 185 the following year for EvCC, 81 and 196 for EdCC.

Remember, EvCC and EdCC already serve 550 and 800 students, respectively, more than their state allocation. Capping enrollments is not a politically viable alternative, everyone agrees.

We urge the state Legislature to fund the community colleges at the state board’s request.

We need to show businesses interested in moving to Snohomish County that we provide a level of work-force training commensurate with a progressive, business-oriented community.

Our community colleges are an integral part of our efforts to annually add 750 family-wage jobs in the county. Both colleges repeatedly have demonstrated they are true partners with business and industry, and they deserve the state’s most generous support.

Deborah Knutson is President of the Snohomish County Economic Development Council. She can be reached at 425-743-4567 or send e-mail to dknutson@snoedc.org.

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