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Hagerstown Community College warns delegation of $547,000 proposed cut under state funding formula
Summary
HCC President Doctor Klauber told the Washington County Delegation that enrollment growth has removed a 'small college' subsidy and a reduced CADE allocation could produce a $547,000 net loss; he asked delegates to seek a phased hold-harmless approach while the delegation pursues follow-up with budget chairs and the senator assigned to the issue.
Hagerstown Community College President Doctor Klauber told the Washington County Delegation that a recent enrollment surge and changes in the state funding formula combine to produce a net funding loss for the college. Klauber said HCC grew from around 3,600 to 5,400 students in one year under a local partnership and that, as a result, the college lost a "smallest college subsidy" while receiving lower net per-student revenues for new enrollees.
"Hagerstown Community College appears to be the only college in the entire state that's proposed for a $547,000 reduction, where everyone else is predicted to see increases," Klauber said, urging the delegation to seek a remedy. He told members the governor reduced the formula's intended 7.1% growth allocation to 3%, and that the combination of that reduction plus the phase-out of the small-college subsidy leaves HCC with a net loss this year.
Klauber asked the delegation to consider either restoring a hold-harmless provision or phasing the subsidy reduction to allow HCC time to absorb enrollment-driven changes. Delegates recommended coordinating meetings with budget chairs and Senator King to explore precedent and next steps; Klauber said he would be in Annapolis for Washington County Day and would join follow-up conversations.
Delegation members suggested first checking whether similar relief was pursued for other colleges that faced the same formula change, and noted the possibility of addressing the issue either through budget language or legislation depending on how the budget chairs respond. No specific remedy or legislative action was recorded in the meeting transcript.
Klauber’s request centers on the interaction between enrollment growth, per-student revenue (some seats funded by the school district at 75% of tuition), and formulaic allocations that may not fully reflect extraordinary local enrollment increases.
The delegation agreed to follow up with coalition contacts and budget leadership; Klauber and delegation members planned additional meetings in Annapolis to press the issue.
