Eye on future: Community colleges make their pitch for support
Longview News Journal
Sunday, September 21, 2008

At this time of year, most of the buzz about higher education in Texas has to do with the performance of the Longhorns' quarterback or the Aggies' defense. People want to know whether the Red Raiders are going to light up scoreboards or if rumors of the Bears' resurgence are finally coming true.

Even when the football season ends, the higher education focus usually is on major four-year universities.

What is often overlooked, by the public as well as Texas lawmakers, is the vital role that community colleges play in higher education.

Community colleges actually have an overwhelming lead over their four-year counterparts when it comes to enrolling freshman and sophomore college students in Texas. They enroll 75 percent of all college underclassmen in Texas and 70 percent of new college students.

According to data provided by the Texas Association of Community Colleges, its members trained 62 percent of new registered nurses in 2007 and 84 percent of first responders.

Whether they are looking for a stepping stone to a four-year degree or looking for career training in a variety of health care, technical and mechanical fields, it is clear that most Texans in search of higher education turn to community colleges.

That's an important message that local community college leaders hope they can impress upon leaders in state government. College presidents Bill Holda of Kilgore College, Gregory Powell of Panola College and Bradley Johnson of Northeast Texas Community College will join a delegation of their peers as they carry their "Solutions for Texas" campaign to Austin Oct. 2-3.

Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, could play a key role in any discussion about funding for community colleges. He says he supports community colleges and would push for more funding as a member of the Senate Finance Committee.

It will take more than one senator's vocal support, however, if Texas is going to begin funding and supporting community colleges at a level that matches their role in our state's economy and its future.

Go back through the years and track down what Texas political leaders have said about education in general and specifically about community colleges. What you will find generally are statements stressing the need to raise the education level of Texans and supportive of the role that community colleges can play in that effort.

Unfortunately, you will also find reports that the level of state funding as a percentage of overall community college revenues is half of what it was just 22 years ago. For a generation or more, Texas political leaders have talked the talk, but they have sat down on the walk.

Of course, that's history and what's most important now is to consider the future of the state's role in supporting Texas community colleges and their important role.

Holda, Powell, Johnson and their peers will go to Austin with the goal of impressing upon lawmakers the need for improved, reliable funding.

Just two years ago the state's community colleges were scrambling to find a solution to Gov. Rick Perry's decision to block the state's funding for health care benefits for community college staff members. (The decision was a result of a dispute over which college employees are eligible for the state health care support.)

Had Perry, legislative leaders and the community colleges not been able to arrive at a compromise that restored the funding, the impact could have been devastating on the colleges and the students they serve.

That's why it's important that the college presidents go to Austin now to begin talking about what can be done during the 2009 legislative session to secure sufficient funding and lay down a path to a bright future for these institutions that play such a vital role in Texas education.

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