Low projected enrollment will prolong cuts at NIC

Budget cuts that North Idaho College officials hoped would last just a few months will extend into next year because of low projected enrollment.

NIC slashed about $615,000 from its budget in March to cover a budget shortfall resulting from low enrollment. Officials hoped the cuts would only last until the next fiscal year, which begins in July, but low enrollment projections for the 2006-07 school year meant budget writers had to make cuts of about $215,000.

“That’s not catastrophic, but it is a large impact,” said Rolly Jurgens, NIC’s vice president for administration. “We’ve got to make that difference up.”

Enrollment is projected to drop by 2.5 percent next year, which Jurgens called a “conservative” estimate.

“Hopefully it doesn’t materialize,” he said.

NIC overprojected enrollment when budgeting for the 2005-06 year, which caused the $615,000 shortfall. NIC spokesman Kent Propst said budget writers are being cautious to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

The board of trustees studied the budget at its meeting Wednesday evening and will approve the budget at its next meeting June 21.

Most areas of the college will see cuts.

“We’ve had some really hard looks at ourselves this year,” Jurgens said.

The college is cutting 11 full-time positions, including the night security officer. Some of those employees are moving to part-time status.

Jurgens presented two areas that are considered top on NIC’s “wish list,” meaning if there’s extra money, that’s where administrators want it to go.

Topping the list is $250,000 to open a branch in Bonners Ferry and money for an information securities officer and the night security position. NIC has never had a security officer in charge of information and computer data, and Steve Ruppel, director of NIC’s information technology department, said the need continues to increase.

“We’re very nervous about this,” he said.

Trustee Mic Armon said the position should be a top priority

“In this day and age, that’s kind of like living in a community without a police force,” Armon said. “With a breach in security, I mean, it could shut us down.”

Trustee Christie Wood, spokeswoman for the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, also emphasized the need for an information security officer and a night security officer.

“The reality is the city and county … are stretched very thin,” Wood said. “We can’t even answer all the calls we get.”

Faculty representative Bill Richards, a geology and geography instructor, criticized the cuts in his update to the board, particularly the reduction of full-time employees to part-time with no benefits.

“That just doesn’t sit well,” he said.

NIC President Michael Burke took issue with part of the written update that questioned why a drop in enrollment resulted in budget cuts.

“Folks, it’s a 1-to-1 correlation,” he said.