BATON ROUGE – On behalf of the Board of Supervisors of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System and in response to Saturday's budget announcement by Commissioner Dardenne of an immediate $6.7 million state funding reduction plus a cut to TOPS representing a $900K loss of tuition revenues to LCTCS colleges for a total reduction of $7.6 million to the current year budget and an even larger reduction in the proposed executive budget for fiscal year 2017, LCTCS Board Chairman Woody Oge released the following statement:
"Given the budget news of the last two days, I have grave concerns for the future of the people of Louisiana who without access to educational and workforce training opportunities as provided by our community and technical colleges will not be able to grow and provide for their families. The cuts announced today and those proposed for the next year are devastating.
“The sense of urgency could not be greater. We must find real, long-term budget solutions. I call upon everyone with a vested interest in seeing Louisiana and its people advance to stand with us.
“In 1998 the Louisiana Community and Technical College System was created. The progress made since that time has been one of Louisiana's greatest successes. The decisions of the next 21 days will in large measure determine the future of this system, and more importantly, the future of thousands of people across Louisiana."
Woody Oge,
Chairman
Louisiana Community and Technical College System
