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Carl Sandburg College budgets for 61 percent reduction in state aid

To account for the ongoing state budget impasse that has reduced the stream of state aid to a trickle, the president of Carl Sandburg College says she challenged the school’s CFO Lisa Blake to put together a budget for next year with no state funds.

Last year, $1.9 million of Sandburg’s $14 million budget came from state funds. Moving forward, the Galesburg community college has budgeted for $734,000 in state money, a cut of more than 61 percent.

Sandburg President Dr. Lori Sundberg says serious concessions were made. She tells WGIL the English as a Second Language and Adult Learning programs were completely removed.

“We believe those are two really important programs,” Sundberg says. “However, when it comes down to trying to balance a budget, we’re first and foremost a college and so I’m trying to maintain the core mission and the core mission is college work.”

Those programs were paid for through federal grants disbursed through the state. Sundberg says that meant five positions were eliminated as a result.

Other cuts included the removal of two campus buildings. The Sandburg Extension Center in Bushnell has been closed and an auditorium in Carthage was gifted to the city.

“We’re really trying to get very, very lean in terms of our facilities, and I’m trying not to get so lean in terms of people,” Sundberg says.

Even so, the cuts to those buildings meant two part timers lost their jobs. This is the 11th month Illinois has operated with no budget.

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