This article first appeared in the Glenwood Post Independent. By John Colson.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS — Colorado Mountain College tuition rates will stay the same for the 2013-2014 school year, but expenses will decrease slightly in keeping with the fact that enrollments have been declining over the past couple of years.
The college district’s board of trustees each year attempts to set the budget as closely as possible in line with the ebbs and flows of the student population, according to statements at trustee meetings about the budget process.
And, as noted by school public information officer Debra Crawford, even though the student population has declined, the numbers of “full-time-equivalent” credit hours have risen during the same period, overall.
“That means that, even though there are fewer students by the annual headcount, they are taking more credits,” said Crawford.
According to the budget documents, the school had 19,797 students registered as of March 1, and is expecting a total of 21,000 for the coming year. That compares to a projected student body of 21,547 for the 2011-2012 year, and 22,969 in 2010-2011.
According to the draft budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year, revenues for the general fund (which pays for day-to-day school operations) are expected to come in at approximately $60.6 million, down from $63.3 million for the 2012-2013 fiscal year (which mirrors the school year).
Tuition accounts for only 17 percent of the school’s budget, and fell from $10.5 million in the 2012-2013 school year to a projected $9.7 million for the coming year, representing a student body spread across nine counties in the college district.
Another key portion of the college’s income projected to decline this year is the college district’s annual revenue from property taxes, which this year is expected to amount to $41.4 million, compared to $46.9 million last year.
On the expenses side of the ledger, the college general fund is projected to spend more than $55 million in the coming year, compared to general fund expenses of $53.6 million in the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
Over all the different funds, the district expects to spend $60.6 million in the coming year, including $2.6 million on capital equipment and $2.7 million on the facilities fund, which covers ongoing maintenance costs and any deferred maintenance items that may crop up.
In an email announcing the draft budget’s completion, Crawford reported that the district’s board of trustees is scheduled to vote on the final budget at a meeting on June 17 at the campus in Leadville, which is part of the board’s traditional rotation of meetings around the district.
The draft budget is available for public inspection at any CMC location, or by going to the college district’s website (www.coloradomtn.edu), pulling down the “About” menu and choosing “Board of Trustees” and then “Budget & Audit.”