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Legislative Issues Facing Bellevue Community College


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Washington’s two-year colleges provide more than half of the state’s higher education – serving about one-half million students every year, including large numbers who go on to complete bachelor’s degrees. So adequately supporting community colleges is crucial to our state and its residents.

The following issues and requests before the state legislature will have a sigificant impact on our ability to serve our students.

PROPOSED TOLL ON THE I-90 BRIDGE

A toll of up to $10 on the I-90 bridge in Seattle has been suggested as one source of funding for the planned expansion of the SR 520 Evergreen Point bridge. Such a toll would have an immediate and alarmingly negative impact on the education of a large number of current and potential BCC students and would detract from the college’s educational environment. Please click here for more information.

OPERATING BUDGET REQUEST

Through their supplemental operating budget request of the State Legislature, Washington’s 34 two-year colleges seek support in five key areas:

1. Economic Demand

Worker Retraining program - $5.7 million
The flat funding level has gradually become inadequate. This request would begin to address the gap by increasing funding by $5.7 million, providing a 20% increase in student financial aid and instructional support for colleges. BCC’s portion would be $1.9 million

2. Student success

Running Start - $7 million
The funding gap between the reimbursement rate and the actual cost to provide instruction has tripled since the program's inception in 1994, and is now $3,000 per student FTE, or $35 million system-wide, which is about 40% of the CTC average cost of instruction. The Board requests $7 million as the first step in a phased, five-year transition to full funding

3. Student Support

Instructional Equipment Replacements - $7.5 million
For urgent instructional equipment replacements. The Legislature has already provided $2 million. The Board requests an additional $7.5 million in permanent FY 2009 funding to fully meet the need.

Digital Library Resources - $1.5 million
Critical for preparing prepare students for the workplace environment and for transfer. Would provide students access to the same on-line library resources they will later use on the job or at baccalaureate institutions.

4. Emergent Issues

Campus Security - $8.5 million
Will enable colleges’ to develop effective response plans in coordination with police and fire departments, conduct training, install warning and communication systems and purchase equipment.

E-Discovery Mandate - $1.6 million
To comply with Federal court mandates on preservation and retrieval of electronic records by implementing a system-wide solution for email archiving.

5. Technical Budget Corrections

Facilities M&O - $1.9 million
For Lower Columbia, Edmonds, Peninsula and Pierce facilities

Compensation Funding Shortfall - $571,000

OFM Enterprise Systems Fee (inadvertently omitted) - $1.1 million

Salary Compression and Inversion - $4.7 million

Fund Shift Correction
The biennial budget moved some general operating dollars into a fund with limited allowable uses. The colleges will not have enough expenditures in the allowable areas, resulting in a de facto funding reduction unless the fund shift is corrected.

CAPITAL BUDGET REQUEST

Capital Project Cost Escalation - $6.3 million
The legislature approved cost escalation relief of up to $750,000 per project, but current funding of $3.2 million is insufficient to provide that level of relief for the 17 projects (15 colleges) scheduled to bid this biennium.

Bellevue Community College L Building Repairs - $1.4 million
Emergency request to repair water and mold damage.

Yakima Valley Community College Skills Center ground lease - $2.5 million

North Seattle Community College Employment Resource Ctr. construction - $23.58 million in COPs

Wenatchee Valley College student housing - $3.35 million in COPs

For more on the two-year college's supplemental budget request, please refer to the following:

Washington's Future Act: Gardner-Evans-Locke Higher Education Bonds (.pdf file)

Equipment/Online Libraries: How will new equipment and online library resources foster innovation while preparing students for work and transfer? (.pdf file)

Operating Budget: How will two-year colleges further the state’s economy, support student success and foster innovation? (.pdf file)

Capital Budget: Why do two-year colleges need capital funding? (.pdf file)

Running Start: Why do two-year colleges need more resources to support Running Start students? (.pdf file)

Worker Retraining: How can two-year colleges support the state’s economy and its workers? (.pdf file)

Campus Security: How will funding help two-year colleges be prepared for emergencies and natural disasters? (.pdf file)