2000

WEEK OF

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n·ty colleges conce rned a

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tern" report on Mississippi's 15 public community colleges, and responded to questions from an audience of more than 100 peo– ple. :\Iississippi's community col– leges offer "our state's best chance for extricating itself from a situation with so many educational inadequacies. To provide opportunity and acce:;s... we'll take on almost any educational task," Ray snid.

"Statewide community col– lege enr ollmen t s this fall exceeded 127,000, n hcadcount representing over 64 000 full– time equivalent students." Notin g enrollment growth and exp anding training demands, Ray :said the $17.5 million budget cuts for commu· nity co1legcs recommended by the Legislative Budget Office will create "a severe financial crisis." In response to question ...,

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budget cut f :~~ce," he said...This is a cri-

. fu St~te commun~ty college S ndhing, ~h~ u n tversi t y or-=---.::=------------------ ou t Mis st . ., C SSlppJ S coas t olleges th fi t all th expansion , workforce trainin mean e rs

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and th e Mer idian Pu b1i~ Schools requested bond i sue drew the most questi·ons. ay was critica l of plan to R t h_e Unt·ver si·t· of outhern Mississippi Gulf ·p--1.. . d :. exp a n S

Ireland. I am one of those Missis- sippians well-served by our com- munity colleges," Ray said.

CampU5 to mdude first· and sec- ond·.'\ ear coll~e course~. He 'aid, "Lo k around the nation. The ~

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H t G. c anman oo 1p- o e mem ers p e en Ian u 1c b hi p bl "

son appealed t th

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cua trend knot U> create univeruue... Schools request for passage of a

See Colleges, Page 5.!

Ju-uor colleges are expen,i\e Ur ,-emti~ arc very expe~C-r.: e.

.J.3.5 million bond issue. Ray noted that Biloxi, a district

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-We're reslicing the pie The he once served as superintendent, pie':> not £"etting any bigger. We're has authorization of $63 million lookin~ at n $17.5 million reduc- for -rebuilding that public school tion thi:- year in the Legi... Iature "'tern." for our budget How many more · ~Biloxi is not that much differ– time,. can we reslice the pie?'" he ent from Meridian. They are mak– ...aid. mg a major statement about the ••we are in the bu!"in "' of ere- priorities of that community. Your aung ncces~ to education for ~ public schools are a statement of ple. As graduates of .. 'orth\\e... t what your values are," he said. .:\lississippi Junior College, my Mdlae Stewart is astaffwriterforThe brother and I were the ~ m our leod "n Star. E-mail him at family to attend college. And I ms1ewart0mendtanstar.com.

APPEARED IN: LAKE MESSENGER

CARTHAGINIAN NESHOBA DEMO=-c=-R=-A_T_____ NEWTON RECORD MERIDIAN STAR - ----- CLARION-LEDGER --------

SCOTT COUNTY TIM-:-::E:-:S:-------- UNION APPEAL WINSTON COUN:=TY:-:-:-JO-=-:-:-U=-RN_A_L _ ___ SPIRIT OF MORTON NEWTON MESSENG-=E-=-R- --- --