The President of Danville Area Community College, Stephen Nacco, is impressed with the way state funding has been coming through….
‘’The State of Illinois has come through like champions. And what’s happened in the Spring Session has really ramped-up – not just for Higher Ed and Education throughout the state, but also what they say – the capital bill, rebuilding infrastructure. Vertical, meaning the buildings and some of that, but also the horizontal – the roads, and bridges and public transit,’’ noted Nacco. ‘’Everything that’s coming out of there (the General Assembly) has been fabulous. And so we’re running the way it was always meant to be.’’}
Danville Area Community College Trustees put the college’s proposed new budget on public display late last week. And President Nacco notes with more state funding it is taking part of the load off of tuition…
{‘’You know what it’s helped us do – it’s helped us get closer to the model of a third, a third, a third – not putting all of the burden on taxpayers. So, students who were about 46-percent of the budget, now they’re down to around 35 (or) 36-percent. It’s getting closer to that,’’ added Nacco. ‘’And local and state – the state has stepped up to more than 30-percent of the budget. So it’s all now becoming really what the quintessential model should be.’’}
But DACC Board President David Harby is concerned about a growing trend of people leaving Illinois. ‘’We have to become less dependent on real estate taxes,’’ said Harby. ‘’People are leaving (Illinois). We know they’re leaving, and they’re leaving in droves,’’ added Harby. ‘’Our kids are going to look at us someday and say ‘you knew what the problem was and didn’t do anything about it.’’’ And Harby added it is a problem facing all boards.
A public hearing on Danville Area Community College’s proposed new budget is set for September 26th.
