Article archive / April 1, 2015
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 4. Source pages: 1, 3.
At their March 25 finance meeting, the Board of Regents reviewed funding for the upcoming fiscal year. The agenda noted that the Executive Budget guaranteed only a small portion of what they need to operate. The agenda summarized,
“Therefore, $123.5 million is available to fund all higher education entities.” This worse case situation represents an 82 percent reduction from 2008 funding. The Regents noted they would recommend spreading the small amount out on a pro rata basis.
Higher education has been cut significantly over the last years and has been cut more than any other state in the nation, with the exception of Arizona, with funding 43 percent less per student compared to 2008, according to a Times- Picayune report this past February.
The Regent’s agenda noted that that this is the status and the final funding will come after the appropriations bill, House Bill 1, is presented. The House Committee on Appropriations is scheduled to meet next week, April 8, on the budget bill and Higher Education.
Dr. Josepha Rallo, Commissioner of Higher Education, told WGNO in New Orleans, on March 22, that this worse case situation would constitute an 82 percent reduction.
“Five years ago, the state budget to Higher Education was $1.4 billion,” he explained. “Over the last five years that $1.4 has gone to $762 million.”
Rallo said that the “national trends in public Higher Education is loss of state funding.”
“What makes it more dramatic, if you will, in Louisiana,” he said, “is the fact that we seem to go from year to year with one- time budget fixes. And then next year will be always better, but then we get to that point in time. It’s really the lack of certainty, speaking on behalf of the presidents and the chancellors,” Rallo said. “So, that’s what we are facing.”
“I believe that we are going to have an outcome that’s more positive.” However, he gave no specifics on how this picture could improve.
The April 8 Appropriations meeting will include an overview and discussion regarding the proposed in House Bill No. 1 of the 2015 Regular Session, on Higher Education. The meeting is public and more information is available at the Legislative website.
One knowledgeable source commented to the Times, “It is an interesting situation. Constitutionally they can't close schools without 2/3rds legislative approval. But they can't run them with no money, either.”
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