Community Colleges prepare for budget cuts

An 8-percent budget cut would cost Wyoming's seven community colleges about $9.1 million.

Falling energy revenues has prompted Gov. Matt Mead to order
state agencies to prepare for 8-percent budget cuts for the fiscal
year that starts in July 2013.

 James Rose, of the Wyoming Community College Commission, says
each community college board of trustees has the freedom to handle
any funding cuts as it see fit so he can't speak to whether any
faculty and staff positions would be threatened with layoffs.

But Rose says there would be less money for employee health
insurance and programs, such as nursing and veteran tuition
waivers.

 Wyoming has community colleges in Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan,
Powell, Rock Springs, Torrington, Riverton as well as satellite
campuses and outreach centers in various communities, including
Gillette.