SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine Community College System has requested a 13 percent increase in state funding with a bulk of the new money set to go toward the expansion of workforce development programs.
The Portland Press Herald reports Maine’s allocation to the seven-campus system would jump from $62 million in 2017 to $70 million in 2019 if the increase is approved by lawmakers.
System President Derek Langhauser says the state’s community colleges need an annual increase of 3.5 percent just to stay afloat with rising costs. The rest of the money is earmarked for expanding the development programs.
In a meeting with trustees Wednesday, Langhauser noted that state appropriation has become a smaller component of the system’s overall budget recently. Maine currently supports 38 percent of the system’s $177.3 million budget.