STUDENT ENROLLMENT DECLINE NEARING 30%; $10.5 MILLION MORE REVENUE
This is the information the Governing Board will have Tuesday, May 9, 2017 when the five County representatives vote on the 2017-18 College budget. If history is any indicator, the Budget will be rubber stamped by at least the West County voting bloc.
1. The College will lose an estimated $330,000 in state aid because of the decline in the number of students taking accredited classes.
2. The aviation program, which has already lost more than a million dollars in tuition and fees over the past two years, will lose another $160,000 because of the continuing decline in enrollment.
3. Property taxes will not be increased this year. This is the second year in a row the Governing Board has not increased the tax rate. Recall that a majority vote of three on this Board can increase the tax rate on the property taxes of Yavapai County voters. (And there is no oversight and no appeal.)
4.Tuition will be increased by 5%. The Governing Board has increased tuition in some form every year over the last decade. The tuition increases have far outpaced inflation.
5. The new-construction tax will bring in about $680,000 in additional revenue to the College.
6.When comparing student headcount from 2008-09 to 2015-16 (the last formal report from the College) there are 3,894 fewer students taking credit courses. (14,139 vs. 10,245) This is a drop of 27.5% in student enrollment. The decline continued in 2016-17 and is predicted to decline by 4% in 2017-18.
7. When comparing student tuition and fees 2008-09 to 2017-18 the College will be collecting $4,678,500 more in tuition and fees than it did almost a decade ago despite the huge drop in student enrollment. ($6,927,300 vs. $11,605,800).
8. When comparing primary property tax revenue from 2008-09 to 2017-18 the College will be collecting $8,683,119 more in property taxes that it did in 2008-09. ($35,227,381 vs. $43,910,500.)
9. In 2008-09 state aid accounted for $4,761,000 in revenue coming to the College. It is estimated that in 2017-18 the College will receive about $1,979,100 from state in total support. That is a difference of $2,781,900.
10. Overall, it appears that College has $10,579,719 more to spend that it did in 2008-09 and a student body taking accredited courses that has shrunk by almost 30%.