PJC Regents Approve 2020-21 Budget

The Paris Junior College Board held a formal public hearing on the 2020-21 budget, receiving no public comment before their regular meeting held Monday, August 24, 2020. During the meeting that followed, Regents approved the allocation of $33,360,516, about $2.9 million less than the previous year’s budget.

“The pandemic has affected us financially,” said Dr. Pam Anglin, PJC President; “it has had a negative impact on us.”

In other business, the Regents:
• Welcomed new PJC Controller Cody Helm to his first regents’ meeting.
• Approved a policy requiring a property deposit fee of zero. Procedures to collect damages for the destruction of property from students continue to work without deposits.
• Proposed a 2021 tax rate of $0.089/$100 valuations, a slight increase over the current tax rate of $0.084/$100 valuations.
• Designated the Lamar County Tax Assessor-Collector as the officer to calculate tax rate information required under the Texas tax code.
• Accepted the Certified Tax Rolls of $3.695 billion for property taxable by Paris Junior College, as presented by the Lamar County Chief Appraiser.
• Approved Dr. Pam Anglin and Controller Cody Helm as Investment Officers of the College.
• Accepted updates to college policies by the Texas Association of School Boards Updates 38 and 39.
• Set a tax rate hearing for September 14 at 11:30 a.m. The tax rate will be at the regular Board of Regents meeting on September 28.
• Received a preliminary fall enrollment report showing contact hours down 29 percent from one year ago and 32 percent down from two years ago.
“What we’re seeing across the state is that greater numbers of this spring’s graduating class are not enrolling in higher education due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Anglin. “The data shows nationally that if a high school graduate does not enroll in a college that first fall after graduating from high school, it is very unlikely that they will ever go to college. This could have a long-term impact on our future workforce.”

• Learned more of the college’s COVID-19 practices that include requiring properly-worn face masks and social distancing of six feet on campus, pick-up meals available from the cafeteria, single instead of double room occupancy in the residence halls. Also, installing plexiglass shields and hand sanitizer stations, procurement of face shields and masks, and face masks with clear insets for instructors who have students with hearing disabilities. Those passed through the entry checkpoints will receive a paper wrist band daily.

• Accepted the employment of Associate Degree Nursing Instructors Lance Neill and Tamera Lewis, Criminal Justice Instructor Paul Guidry, and Controller Cody Helm.