Blinn College trustees have their proposed budget for the 2016-2017 academic year.
This is the second year Blinn administrators and board members are not breaking down revenue and expenses by campus. That would indicate if revenue generated in Bryan is going to subsidize operations in Brenham. That was discovered by state representative John Raney before the start of the 2015 legislative session.
The fiscal year (FY) 2017 budget uses enrollment data from the fall 2016 semester, which indicates 70 percent of the college’s total credit hours were taken by students in Bryan. Next year, administrators are planning on generating district wide an additional $385,000 dollars in tuition and fee revenue.
For FY 2017, more than half of Blinn’s total revenue comes from tuition and fees, about one-fourth from the state, and less than two percent from property owners in Washington County. That’s the same proportion as FY 2016.
Full time faculty and all staff, including the president, would receive a pay raise of 3.5 percent. The proposal also calls for part time faculty receiving another $50 dollars per course. That’s part of budgeting an additional $2 million dollars for pay and benefits, where the college and employees are both paying more for health insurance.
$5 million dollars is going into campus maintenance and repairs…$2 million in Bryan, almost $1 million in Brenham, and $2 million in something called a facilities infrastructure fund. Next year’s projects in Bryan includes a combined $1 million in improvements to existing buildings, $500,000 for dredging Briar Creek to improve flood protection for neighboring homeowners, and $300,000 for landscaping.
For the first time, administrators presented the board what they called a list of strategies if revenue does not meet expectations. Options include combining classes, reducing the number of part time faculty, offering early retirement packages, filling only “key” vacancies, and reducing campus maintenance and repairs.
Blinn trustees will consider final action on the budget next month.
Click HERE to read and download Blinn’s proposed FY 2017 budget breakdown.
Click HERE to read and download Blinn’s proposed FY 2017 budget presentation.