Young Memorial keeps eye on session

The South Central Louisiana Technical College’s Young Memorial Campus in Morgan City has decided to hold off on setting up summer courses until the legislative special session ends.

Summer classes have not been scheduled yet, said Earl Meador, the college’s regional director. Officials are waiting to see how much money the school will have.

They will know what next year’s picture looks like once the special session closes March 9.

“So the real question we’re working with immediately is summer,” Meador said.

The Louisiana Community and Technical College System, which includes South Central Louisiana Technical College’s Young Memorial Campus, is undergoing an immediate reduction in state funding plus a cut to TOPS.

The total reduction from the current years’ budget is $7.6 million, system board Chairman Woody Oge said in a news release. Next year’s budget reduction is expected to be larger.

State funding cutbacks total $6.7 million for the current year. In addition, the TOPS cut represents a loss of $900,000 in tuition revenues to system colleges.

“At this point, I can assure people that we’re going to finish the semester this spring,” Meador said. “We’re not canceling classes.

“We’re not turning massive amounts of people loose. We have some open positions we may not fill … to make sure that the service to the students and community remains.”

A few weeks ago, the Governor’s Office asked all state higher education leaders to submit budget cut proposals to fill the state budget gap in case the Legislature and governor fail to agree on ways to raise revenue.

At that time, system spokesman Quintin Taylor said, of the $131 million in proposed budget cuts to higher education statewide through June 30, the state’s community and technical college system would have to absorb about 15 percent.

System President Monty Sullivan submitted a system-wide budget cut proposal of $20.2 million as part of the solution to try to close the state’s budget shortfall.

“Given the budget news of the last two days, I have grave concerns for the future of the people of Louisiana who, without access to educational and workforce training opportunities as provided by our community and technical colleges, will not be able to grow and provide for their families,” Oge said.

The construction of the new Hugh & Byrnes Young Marine & Petroleum Safety Training Center is still ongoing and expected to be complete in July.

Both the Morgan City and Reserve campus projects are funded completely and underway.

“I’ve asked several times and I’ve been assured that it’s not going to be stopped,” Meador said. “We’ve been assured the ACT 360 buildings that are funded, such as the Marine and Petroleum Training Center here in Morgan City, will continue.”

The contract cost to build the center is $2,931,775. It is an energy-efficient “utilitarian” classroom building for the marine operations safety program. It is 12,225 square feet.

School projects around the state that have not been bonded yet probably will be stopped due to budget cuts, Meador said.

“The sense of urgency could not be greater,” Oge said. “We must find real, long-term budget solutions. I call upon everyone with a vested interest in seeing Louisiana and its people advance to stand with us.”