Parkland Board Outraged at LCCC Budget Request

An angry Parkland School Board rejected Lehigh Carbon Community College's request for more money from the district after it learned the college was sitting on a $17 million budget surplus.

Several board members said they were outraged LCCC asked Parkland for $1.23 million, a 2.1 percent increase, for the 2013-2014 school year when the college's surplus was nearly 40 percent of its $41.8 million budget.

Although the board voted 5 to 3 against LCCC's budget, Parkand will still have to pay the amount unless the majority of the 13 Lehigh County member school districts rejects the college's budget.

LCCC asked Parkland for $25,751 more than last year to help fund the $439,830 more it needs to fund next year's budget.

Board member David Kennedy said he found it "personally offensive" that LCCC was asking school districts for an increase while it had such a large surplus it could use and many districts are struggling.

Parkland and other districts are making pulling from  fund balances or raising taxes to balance their budgets, Kennedy said.

"This is a slap in the face to every taxpayer who funds LCCC," Kennedy said.

Member Mark Hanichak, who cast his vote over the telephone, said LCCC's surplus would be akin to Parkland having a $70 million fund balance on a $140 million budget "and then having the temerity to ask the taxpayers to shoulder an increase when we have that much in a rainy day fund."

Board members Roberta Marcus and Lisa Adams said LCCC officials were ill-prepared when they presented their budget at Parkland's committee meetings the week of April 8.

Marcus said the officials did not know the amount of the surplus or have other information, but requested it be provided by the time they met with the remaining two committees.

"I was disappointed in the presentation. There needs to be much more transparency than we got that day," Marcus said.

On April 10, when LCCC met with the building and grounds committee, Kennedy, its chairman, said he was stunned to learn of the surplus.

Kennedy vowed to contact every school board president because he believes most Lehigh County school districts voted on LCCC's budget without knowing the size of its surplus.

President Jayne Bartlett, who with Robert Bold and Robert Cohen voted for the budget, said it was one of the most difficult decisions she had to make while on the board.

Bartlett said while she was upset about the $17 million surplus, which she called "atrocious" and "disgraceful," she felt strongly "next year will be different."

She said Parkland sends numerous students to LCCC.

Cohen, the board's representative to LCCC, admonished the board's committees for not advising him in advance of how they would vote.

Cohen said he would vote in favor of the budget "because of the underlying goals it stands for. I think it's extremely important that this community supports our community college."

Cohen said he thinks Parkland will be providing additional oversight on LCCC's upcoming budgets.

LCCC President Don Snyder could not immediately be reached for comment.