By JAMES DRAPER

TYLER — One month and millions of dollars later, the future is uncertain for many area community colleges.

College officials are taking a stand and taking the problem to the public after state leaders took the ax to the schools' budgets in January. Presidents of seven East Texas institutions gathered Thursday at Tyler Junior College, some by satellite, to update their communities on what they consider a crippling attack on public education.

According to Dr. William Crowe, a partnership between the state and the community colleges forged in the 1920s has been betrayed. Crowe, president of Tyler Junior College and the Texas Association of Community Colleges, said he's disappointed Gov. Rick Perry and other state leaders are turning their backs on community colleges after campaigning on promises to protect public education.

"These cuts are really getting at the heart of what community colleges do," he said. "I think it will have a dramatic impact on the students we're trying to serve. We can't take these cuts."

Institutions across the state received letters Jan. 23 calling for the schools to reduce their budgets by 7 percent, ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars for some schools. But even as the colleges’ administrations prepared their proposed cuts, the state sent down another ultimatum — the insurance plans the state government has paid for years also would be slashed by 65 percent.

Those figures, coupled with another expected 12.5 percent cut in 2004, forecast a bleak period in higher education in the next few years, according to Trinity Valley Community College President Ron Baugh.

"We're not sure what direction we're going to be going," Baugh said. And what tentative plans they have are being complicated by the decisions being made in Austin, he said.

Each of the college presidents took a moment to describe how the cuts have affected their school. Hiring freezes, deferred maintenance and dropped programs were a few of the consequences of the state's cuts. Kilgore College President Bill Holda said the recent cuts come as a kick to the schools after they've been working to reduce their budgets for years.

Holda submitted his school's proposed $948,400 in cuts to the House and Senate finance committees Feb. 19. The reductions are not really savings for the state, he said, merely gestures to come up with the Legislature's target amount.

"I think it's criminal and grossly unfair" to put such disproportionate burden on community colleges considering the work they do, Holda said. Many of the other presidents mirrored his comments, adding that the cuts come after two years of record enrollments across the state — from 11 percent to 30 percent increases at many schools. The problem isn't limited to budget cuts, they said, but also includes the loss of funds for increased enrollment.

"How do we pay for those new students?" asked Dr. Gregory Powell, Panola College president. The state's lack of leadership is appalling, he said, especially considering the added burden of higher enrollments without increases in appropriations. "We did it in good faith, expecting that the state would keep up with its end of the bargain."

And, Powell said, Perry's promises of "no new taxes" are worthless. If state leaders refuse to raise taxes statewide, that just means the colleges will be forced to shift the burden to their students and communities, he said. Many of the schools already have approved tuition increases between $2 and $10 or more per credit hour.

The presidents said they can't help but defy Perry's order not to cut student services when they trim their budgets. Some schools are considering reducing or cutting out summer school offerings, and many campus organizations are feeling the pinch as well. Powell said Panola College has been forced to eliminate its journalism, cheerleading and forestry programs along with many other cuts. But the savings, extra tuition and tax increases won't make a dent in the budget shortfall, he said.

"We do not believe that we can tax ourselves out of this," Powell said. "Nor do we believe that we can place it on the backs of our students. We have made cuts in other areas, let the state do the same."

While Perry is pledging to start his budget from base zero and form his budget around the most important programs, the leaders said the governor has lost his priorities. Crowe said they agree prioritizing is good, it's strategic and it's the thing to do, but Perry has to re-evaluate what is important. The state should invest in community colleges, Crowe said, not steal from them.

"The more we can educate our legislative officials, the better," he said.

The presidents are encouraging their students, faculty and communities to be active on the issue and write, call and e-mail their leaders.

"That's the way something is going to happen,” Crowe said. “We have to make them see community colleges as a priority."