Protesters rip cuts to education

Protestors from St. Louis area community colleges protest in front of the Governor's Mansion on Monday. The group of professors and students were voicing their displeasure over Gov. Eric Greitens' proposed cuts to higher education funding.
Protestors from St. Louis area community colleges protest in front of the Governor's Mansion on Monday. The group of professors and students were voicing their displeasure over Gov. Eric Greitens' proposed cuts to higher education funding.

A group of students from St. Louis area community colleges came to Jefferson City on Monday to let Gov. Eric Greitens know their displeasure with his proposed budget cuts to higher education.

About a dozen students stood on the sidewalk in front of the Governor's Mansion during the noon hour, chanting and holding signs saying Greitens' proposals would be a severe setback for higher education in the state.

Higher education takes the biggest total hit in Greitens' proposed budget for the 2017-18 state business year.

With its 10 percent cut in the core budgets for all of Missouri's public colleges and universities - two-year and four-year schools alike - colleges and universities would get more than $116.2 million less in general revenue in the business year that begins July 1 than in the current budget.

The total appropriation for higher education - including federal funds and other funds that come into the state - is more than $159 million less than this current year.

Professor Linda Collins is from St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley and was with the group; she said the governor's proposed budget would hurt Missourians.

"At our school, we're looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars possibly or a million in cuts," she said. "It could affect future enrollment if we can't offer courses people need to succeed in the business world."

In social media posts about his decisions, Greitens said he made the cuts in response to a lingering slowdown in state revenue. He also indicated the cuts targeted new spending items and programs with no established track record of success.