Page 5 - May 5, 2017

THE COMMUNITY NEWS
MARTIN-2
from page four
ing up.
What I would really like to see
improved upon and expanded is in the workforce continuing education area. I believe that we have the ability to help people out there in the workplace, peo- ple that don’t want to go to college but that want to learn a skill. I believe we need to work and expand that program. I’m thinking of things like welding, and HVAC – skilled trades.
How does Weatherford College keep tuition affordable in an era of rising expenses and decreasing revenue from the state?
What we’ve been able to do is bal- ance between what we get from the state versus the taxes and the tuitions that the kids pay. What has helped us is we really keep a close watch on the bud- get and we try to make improvements wherever we can in that area. Another thing is that our economy causes the property tax evaluations to go up, so there’s an automatic steadier – some- thing that keeps the tax dollars up. We’re not just solely reliant on some- thing like the oil eld industry. So it’s really just been a combination of work- ing very hard with the budgets and the revenues that we have coming in.
Education is changing very quickly. What does the college need to do to maintain exibility to keep up with the times?
We encourage everybody to stay up on their professions. We continue to implement changes in our computer operations systems, both what we use
to operate the college from a business standpoint as well as an academic standpoint. We are going to need to stay top-notch to compete with those col- leges that offer lots of online programs. I believe the dual credit stuff is going to continue to improve.
Do you think Wise County should
have representation on the board?
I think they should have represen- tation but not a voting place on the board. Right now, property tax payers here in the county pay 12 cents per one hundred dollars of valuation as taxes for the college. Up there they pay about 4.6 cents, and all their money covers
is paying the bond note on their build- ing. When we worked out the initial agreement, it was never envisioned they would have a place on the board. The reason was, in my opinion, that every- one understood if you wanted to have equal representation on the board, you would pay the same taxes as everybody else. Right now the way it is, they’re not doing that. Not even close.
I have no problem with them having representation to discuss and maybe even vote on items that are solely related to Wise County. But I do not agree with them being able to come in and vote on overall, overarching col- lege items, or items that affect Parker County.
BOWERS
from page three
What do you believe Weatherford College is doing well, and where do you see the most room for improve- ment?
I think Weatherford College is doing so many good things. First off, I believe that we are serving the community and the students that are here in the service area with offering as many possible courses for either transfer to universi- ties or into the workforce. With all the different programs that they are offering there, I don’t see how a college of our size could do much better than we have in trying to give the students of this area the best possible opportunities to be successful in college careers and life.
I think we have an ever changing technology. Looking back on what things were like when I rst came to Weatherford College, and what they are now, we’ve undergone so many chang- es as a society. So many new things have come up. As long as Weatherford
College can stay open to new ideas and new programs to bene t students in this area, and keep it affordable, that would be very bene cial.
How does Weatherford College keep tuition affordable in an era of rising expenses and decreasing revenue from the state?
For many years now, the state legis- lature has continued to cut state fund- ing to community colleges. As a conse- quence, that’s throwing a greater bur- den on the students that are trying to take courses, and also on the taxpayers of Parker County. It makes it more dif - cult to provide a quality education at an affordable rate. That becomes a burden on all of us to try to support it whenever the state legislature is continuing to decrease the amount of funding coming from the state.
I really feel like we have to begin with our state legislators. I know we have Phil King as our representative here, but he’s only one person. The point that really bothers me is more students here take courses from a com- munity college than at state colleges and universities. Community colleges in Texas are not funded the same way that senior colleges are. I think there’s going to have to be a dramatic change in the thinking of the legislature on how we start funding community colleges to be more equitable.
I know everybody hates the word taxes, but right now the tax rate for Weatherford College has not increased in six or seven years. If things keep on going the way they are, I don’t know how we can continue to not look at maybe making a very small increase in the tax rate.
Education is changing very quickly. What does the college need to do to maintain exibility to keep up with the times?
I think we have done that already. I think the most dramatic turn we’ve made is dual credit. Students are now taking classes as early as their fresh- man year in high school. We have had to change some of our philosophy as to
what to offer to students in high school, how to fund those, and where to nd the instructors for those particular courses.
I think Weatherford College has done a great job in seeing that need and being able to meet that need. That seems to be our largest contingent of growth.
Do you think Wise County should have representation on the board?
No I don’t. I don’t think it’s right
to have an appointed person from the Wise County Commissioners Court put at the same level as the remaining per- sons that are elected by a county wide vote from people in Parker County.
I just don’t see that as equal repre- sentation there.
MORRIS
from page three
stay low. In Parker County we’re very fortunate because we do have a grow- ing tax valuation base. We have three resources for revenue: local taxes, state income and student tuition and fees. I think keeping the tax rate the same is
a good idea. State appropriations are going down so we’ve got one resource going down and one resource that’s stable. So you have to look to that third resource at some point to make up the difference and that’s student tuition and fees. And we are falling behind the state average right now. Most community col- leges in Texas were raising their student tuition and fees this year and we didn’t. So we are de nitely falling behind the state average.
What do you believe Weatherford College is doing well, and where do you see the most room for improve- ment?
Our education is beyond fault. Students who start there have no prob- lem transferring their hours. We have such a good reputation that universities take our hours if they have a degree that equates with what the student is doing.
May 5,D2a0t17e 5xA We have a great faculty and staff that’s
so hardworking and everybody cares so much.
One of main concerns right now is technology. The operating system that the college is using is over 20 years old. In the world of technology that’s just nearly unthinkable. So it’s going to be probably a large amount of money that the college needs to come up with to get this up to date. It’s extremely important.
We have a wonderful director of technology right now and he’s got some wonderful ideas and I support what he’s wanting to do wholeheartedly.
How does Weatherford College keep tuition affordable in an era of rising expenses and decreasing revenue from the state?
I think tuition and fees probably need to be raised if you’re going to maintain the same quality and level of education that we are known for. We don’t want to lose ground.
Education is changing very quickly. What does the college need to do to maintain exibility to keep up with the times?
I think it’s in place because they’ve hired such good people to run these departments. What the board has got
to do is nd a way to support the pro- grams that are necessary up there like technology. The board will have to make to make the decisions as far as what the college can and can’t do nancially.
Do you think Wise County should have representation on the board?
Yes, sort of. They do not pay the same tax rate that Parker County resi- dents do, so I do not think there should be equal representation. I think they should have a representative on the board who is allowed to vote on only issues that concern Wise County.
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