Consultants to McHenry County College offered up plans costing $62 to $78 million on Tuesday night.
I’ve time to post some of the slides that were show costs and suggestions.
The full slide presentation can be found here.
I doubt the college board has squirreled away that kind of money.
Can anyone spell “Tax Hike Referendum?”
This is another “Made as Instructed” study that was directed by the administration and will be used by the liberals.
Consultants are never objective.
Their job is to provided “expert” cover for what the bureaucracy has already decided it wants to do.
A complete joke.
Any major expansion/remodel is not necessary.
Large amounts of under utilized space.
Spend some money on an online curriculum, a much wiser investment.
Just look and see who on the board pushed for this consultant study.
Current classroom usage and population projections do not dictate expansion.
Do the citizens know that the entire campus is virtually vacant on Fridays?
That is 20% of every school week, the college is not fully utilized.
There are many good alternatives to expansion.
Stop this push now!
So this is just another push for a tax increase after the first efforts were soundly thrashed by the people who can’t afford to pay for it.
Personally, I want so many things in my personal life that I can’t afford, should I seek help from the financially distressed state that seems to continue to do everything it can to drive people out?
This is a local community college not a huge university backed by Saudi Arabia.
Tom is 100% correct.
I reviewed the early presentation and the only time the school is at full utilization is Monday morning from 8-9 (if memory serves me correctly).
Let me also add that the utilization study contractors admitted that the plans didn’t even consider trends in enrollment!!!
This is a complete sham!
Please look at the full document.
On page 29 they are suggesting nearly 1800 SF for game rooms and media viewing?!?!?
What the hell is going on here.
I agree, the labs and some of the science space needs updating.
I’m all for that, the rest of it is a complete crock.
The next meeting is this coming Wednesday the 21st at 6:30 PM.
We all need to be there to speak to this thoughtless proposal and to get the board to seriously throttle back this ridiculous plan.
THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTY ARE OUT OF MONEY AND OUT OF PATIENCE!
Before anyone can ask for additional money they should explain how their present budget is spent
Starting with the salaries of the administration then on to equipment and personnel
explain why they have a huge number of campus police with interceptor vehicles
explain why they have so many non essential classes like back yard chicken raising…Good Grief
Tom Is right the campus as is, is not fully utilized, so why enlarge it?
A consultants task is to tell the politician’s ONLY what they want to hear.
BOHICA – McHenry property taxpayers.
Honest Abe – I had to look up BOHICA as I had not seen/heard that acronym.
It definitely fits this issue, the evergreen quest for a new library, Lakewood sports complex, etc.
These folks are like spoiled children; please stop asking/re-phrasing the same question over and over.
As Anon said, there are a lot things people want, but sometimes you don’t get it.
Live with it and move on – as we do every day paying as much as we do in taxes already.
Enrollment is going down.
Rooms are not being used.
Enrollment down for elementary and up.
This is balony.
Not all classrooms are created equal.
You can’t teach physical science on line.
The major employers in this region are healthcare related- including manufacturing- who are asking for programs that support a workforce.
I am not saying all of the recommendations make sense but many do.
Inish, stating a general principal does not mean it applies in this particular case.
Evidence of cost versus benefit must be weighed.
The original purpose of the study was to determine what NEEDED to be done, especially with regard to science labs, which everyone agrees are obsolete.
The study quickly morphed into a wish list by department heads with no consideration of enrollment trends or job prospects, and Vicky Smith’s parting shot, the phony “need” for a place for students to relax and play.
As for health care jobs, there may well be some need for change, but this study does a poor job of addressing how much.
MCC already delivers nurse candidates approximately equal to projected demand, so this program does NOT need to be vastly expanded.
In addition to which, the types of nurses in demand is rapidly changing.
No place hires Associates Degree RNs anymore, so the proper role for the nursing program is now strictly to be two cheap years and finish at a four year college.
I would refer you to an article on this exact subject in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal.
Tom, can you tell us who they are?
And the exodus continues.
NO NO NO MCC is a scheming place.
If they want to build they need to raise tuition.
They are frequently coming up with plans to raise taxes.
Jeebus
I was not there for the consultant vote.
The demand is simply not there.
I did a study based upon classroom usage and presented it.
It is public record.
The administration did not refute my findings.
There is not full utization of classroom space and there is no planning for a more full utilization of space.
Take a look at what is available and how they use it.
Also take a close look at what type of classes are currently offered and what the demand is.
Is bigger better?
and the occupancy. It does not equate by any means to expansion. The facts speak .
Do not let them proceed. Is that simple.
Lab rooms need improvement. Further expansion is not warranted.
Thanks Mr. Wilbeck.
Everyone, please support this man for a county board run!
(Tom Wilbeck for county board.)