College has good track record of fiscal responsibility, transparency

Bob Johnson
Posted 3/15/19

Two-year institutions across this nation offer people affordable and convenient educational opportunities. Kish is no different. We have been offering quality education to our community since opening our doors over 50 years ago. Here is some recent data on how we’ve remained good stewards of student tuition and state and district taxpayer money.

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College has good track record of fiscal responsibility, transparency

Posted

Dear Editor,

Two-year institutions across this nation offer people affordable and convenient educational opportunities. Kish is no different. We have been offering quality education to our community since opening our doors over 50 years ago. Here is some recent data on how we’ve remained good stewards of student tuition and state and district taxpayer money.

The financial hardships many businesses and institutions face are no stranger to Kish. However, we want to let the community know we’ve been working very hard to keep costs low. We have levied the same fixed real estate tax rate for Education and Operations & Maintenance for the past 10 years. Additionally, the Equalized Assessed Value of real estate in our district was lower in 2018 than it was in 2009, so the levy dollars received for Education and Operations & Maintenance are less than they were in 2009. Through strategic planning, we have kept costs low without diminishing quality; in fact, our FY19 operating budget is at the FY06 level when adjusted for inflation. Essentially, we’ve adjusted our programming to better suit the community, and still kept our costs down.

I am proud of Kish’s track record of fiscal stability and transparency. An audit conducted by the College’s independent auditor, Sikich, reported that Kish’s financial audit was one of the best they evaluated for our fiscal year ending June 30, 2017. The 2018 audit was just as good. These clean audits speak to the core of how we always have and will continue to operate—with integrity and responsibility.

Our cost per student is comparable to college districts across the state, with no noteworthy difference among schools with similar full-time enrollment equivalencies. Our credit hour rate and student fees are also within range of other Illinois community colleges with similar make-ups. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission’s (ISAC) 2017 data book demonstrates the savings of attending Kish.
Yearly tuition and fee costs are significantly less at Kish than at Illinois Public and Private 4- year Universities. Thirty credit hours total $4,830 at Kish whereas someone may pay $14,903 at an Illinois Public University and $35,471 at an Illinois Private University. Additionally, many Kish students receive financial support through state and federal grants and scholarships awarded by the Kishwaukee College Foundation.

With the ability to save around $10,000 per year, attending Kish before transferring to a 4-year university could be a wise choice for many prospective students. Kish consistently remains attentive to community needs and provides excellent workforce training, community education classes, certificate programs, and general education courses—all while working on a budget approved and monitored by your locally elected Board of Trustees.

We take our volunteer positions on the Board of Trustees seriously because we know giving back to our community is important. Student Trustee Johnathan Prose, Trustee Kathleen Watkins, Trustee Linda Mason, Trustee Ken Doubler, Trustee Dr. Roberta Burke, Secretary Kathleen Spears, Vice Chair Dr. Robert Hammon, and I all give our unique talents and input into ensuring transparency across the College. It is a deep honor that we get to invest our time on the noble pursuit of education.

Bob Johnson
Chairman, Kishwaukee College Board of Trustees