03/29/2024
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By: Erin Smith

 Commissioners hear budget request from Bladen Community College

The Bladen County Board of Commissioners met on Monday night and heard a budget request from Bladen Community College President Wiliam Findt. The college is requesting $1.4 million from the county for the FY 2016-17 budget.

The budget request includes $92,000 for sheriff deputies; an additional custodian position as the school currently has two custodians that clean 17 buildings; a two percent cost of living adjustment for all county-paid employees; funding for capital improvements including a roof replacement, campus lighting, drainage, an ADA required restroom renovation, and siding at the East Arcadia Center.

Findt began his remarks by thanking the board for their ongoing support of the school and its programs. He updated the board on the Connect NC Bond and told the board that the college will receive $6.5 million. The funds will be used to build a 20,000 square feet STEM building that will house classrooms, offices, and a teaching auditorium.

“We’ve run out of space for programs,” said Findt.

He also discussed the revenues for the school and noted that BCC is the third lowest funded community college in the state.

“Stanley Community College and Lenoir Community College in Kinston are funded less,” said Findt.

According to a graphic supplied by Findt to the board for the 2014-15 revenues, the school received about 83 percent of the funding from federal and state financial aid; and five percent from the county and one percent from county capital; seven percent comes from state capital, tuition and fees; one percent comes from grants; and two percent from sales and services.

The county gave the school about $808,265 or about $583 per budgeted FTE.

Findt said that the school also takes security very seriously. He told the Board the Bladen County Sheriff Jim McVicker and Captain Jeff Singletary have worked with the college. He said currently there are two deputies on the campus between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 10 p.m.

“We don’t have any serious incidents but occasionally we have students scuffle,” said Findt.

He said with the addition of the deputies on the campus, the incidents have dropped significantly .

 

Findt was joined by BCC Board of Trustees Chairman Dennis Troy and Finance Director Jay Stanley.

In other business, the board heard from William Hemphill who asked what funds, if any, have been allotted for programs for teens to help them find jobs for the summer.

“I would refer them to NC Works to Ann Garrett,” said Commissioner Charles Ray Peterson.

 

Hemphill told the board that the City of Baltimore, Md. has a program offered through the city and financed through donations from various organizations that helps teens seeking work.

The board also met in closed session for matters of personnel and client-attorney privilege. No action was taken in open session.

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