Southeast Community College advances budget plan, receives major donor gift

BEATRICE – The Southeast Community College Board will publish a proposed budget for the coming year that totals nearly $345.8 million.
It’s the first year the college will operate without general fund property tax support, under new state law. That means a drop of about 80-percent in tax support….replaced by state aid and what’s called a community college futures fund. A public hearing will be held on the budget in September, prior to a board vote of final approval.

SCC and other community colleges retain up to two-cents in a capital improvements levy from property taxes.  SCC President Dr. Paul Illich says the college continues to see increasing enrollment.  "This particular fall semester...and this is preliminary, but as of today, we're at 10,584 students on all of our campuses. That's approximately a nine-percent increase. What makes that so remarkable...that's a nine-percent increase over an approximately five-percent increase last fall. A very, very strong enrollment. We're analyzing where it's coming from, but it appears to be very broad."

Illich says the college is considering additional dormitory space to handle the influx of students. The school’s Milford Campus has increased enrollment in recent years by over 50 percent.  Under a measure called reimbursable educational units used as a factor in state aid support…..SCC benefits by providing technical skills education in light and heavy technology…..classes that typically cost more to offer. The school anticipates an 8-percent increase in REU growth this coming year.

SCC will receive nearly $30.2 million in state aid this year and nearly $63.2 million from the community college futures fund…..which is replacing property taxes.
The total compensation increase for college staff will be about 4.6 percent.  Property valuation in SCC’s 15-county service area jumped about 6.2 percent this year. The highest valuation increases came in Thayer, Johnson, Jefferson, Gage and Nemaha Counties.  Students will pay tuition and fees of $127 per credit hour….an increase of 1.7-percent.

SCC is receiving a $250,000 gift and will recognize that gift through a naming right on the second floor of the Lincoln Campus Health Sciences Center.
The gift, from Lincoln Psychiatrist, Dr. Lori Anderson…is being made in the name of her late mother, Flo Anderson…a former student of the college.
Foundation Executive Director Michelle Birkel says the gift also includes $20,000 in scholarship support from Dr. Anderson.

"Her mom was 67 when she came here and took the practical nursing program at Southeast Community College. She then proceeded to come back when she was 94...and she took tap dancing classes. Since then, she's passed away. She (Dr. Anderson) wants to do something wonderful for her mom. So, it started out with a scholarship, she's going to do a $1,500 scholarship per year...and she wanted to honor her because she took the practical nursing program and then she also had an interest in physical therapy."

College officials say they plan to place a plaque and photos of Flo Anderson on the second floor of the new Health Sciences Center….which is located next to the SCC Student Welcome Center on the East “O” Street campus.