TJC Approves Budget

TYLER — Tyler Junior College has a new budget. School trustees Thursday approved a $75 million dollar budget. That’s up nearly $1 million from the current budget. The tax rate went up just under two cents per $100 valuation. T.J.C. feels the fall enrollment will be around 11,000 students. That would bring in the same amount of money in the previous budget without having to increase tuition and fees like they had to do last year. The budget contains no pay raises for employees. That makes three straight years without a salary hike.

Grassroots America – We the People expressed its appreciation to the college “for the outstanding results you have produced in response to our request to make TJC’s operations and finances more transparent and available to taxpayers.” The group also reiterated what it sees as the need to budget funds for the preservation of the new allied health and nursing facility when it is completed. Other recommendations included posting online TJC’s total debt schedule by year; a three-to five-year schedule of effective full-time employees for comparison and with justification for any changes in each category of employee; posting what TJC safely can publicize regarding upgrades and improvements in campus security in a place on the college’s website other than the student handbook; and posting a statement about the status of TJC’s retirement benefits funding.