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New COD budget holds line on taxes, tuition

College of DuPage trustees approved a budget for the coming fiscal year that keeps the school's property tax levy flat, despite a multimillion-dollar deficit.

The board voted unanimously Thursday to adopt a $319.9 million budget for the year that starts July 1. The document calls for $155.4 million in expenditures in the education fund and $15.3 million of spending in the operations and maintenance fund.

Combined, the funds form the Glen Ellyn-based college's $170.7 million operating budget for fiscal 2018.

Board Chairwoman Deanne Mazzochi said the spending plan takes into account the needs of students and taxpayers while maintaining the school's educational quality.

"We're trying to do the best we can to live within our means," she said.

Expenses for the operating budget exceed revenues by $5.4 million, in part because COD isn't expected to get full financial support from the state. Under normal circumstances, the operating budget would include roughly $13 million in state funding, but COD officials expect to get only half that next year.

Regardless, trustees decided to keep tuition at $135 per credit hour, including fees, for in-district students. Illinois students coming from outside the district will continue paying $322 per credit hour.

"The most important factor to students is cost," Mazzochi said. "So we're keeping our costs as low as possible on the tuition end."

Trustees also decided to keep the property tax levy flat for another year. COD is projected to collect $105.7 million in local property taxes during the next fiscal year.

This year, DuPage residents with homes valued at $300,000 are paying about $262 in property taxes to the college, according to the county clerk's office.

Even if COD gets no state money because of the budget impasse in Springfield, officials say it is in a strong financial position with healthy cash reserves.

"We're in a much better position than a lot of other community colleges that are more reliant on state aid," said Trustee Frank Napolitano, chairman of the budget committee.

During the coming fiscal year, the school is planning to spend $11 million on construction projects, including a $1.2 million enhancement of the Jack H. Turner Conference Center.

Other planned expenditures include $4.8 million for an information technology plan, $650,000 for employee professional development, $200,000 for the Lakeside Pavilion concert series and $200,000 to modernize the school's website.

The school also is planning to add seven full-time and part-time jobs after eliminating seven administrative positions. The number of full-time faculty positions will remain at 298.

"I think we prioritized the most critical things that would impact the education quality the students come to expect," Napolitano said. "None of the things that we cut or deferred in the budget process will negatively impact the students' eduction quality."

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