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Decatur community college reduces staff by 25 percent

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Illinois

Richland Community College is having to cut even more employees.

The Decatur school has taken a big loss over the past couple years, so now they’ve asked staff to sign up to leave early.

Last week, the school announced 18 employees will be out of work by the end of May.

In addition to that, 14 employees decided to take a payment incentive to leave their job.

To put this all in perspective, the school said they’ve had to reduce their staff by 25% over the last two years.

This is all because they’re trying to fill a more than $2 million hole in their budget that used to be filled with the state’s help.

No problem. Decatur’s economy is so robust after two years of this glorious impasse that those folks will easily find other jobs.

Right?

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:33 am

Comments

My heart goes out to these employees, but overall employment in Illinois is up, and rising.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:35 am
Another example of Ruaner “winnin’”…..

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:38 am
I read Caterpillar is moving some of the work from Aurora to Decatur. Maybe some of the workers from Richland CC can get a job there.

Comment by DuPage Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:41 am
Related to this - my niece took a job teaching in the Decatur schools after graduating from ISU with honors. I understand that this was a targeted K-12 district and that she would have some of her student loan debt “forgiven” by staying a certain length of time.

The problems with the schools obviously go much deeper.

Needless to say, after her required time there she decided to move to Seattle. Another loss for Illinois !

Comment by illini Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:47 am
I’m frustrated too, but a little pain is necessary to get the job creators excited…structurally speaking that is. And then we can afford to be compassionate. Until then, however, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Decatur!

Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:50 am
Yeah but just think how much more their lives will be enriched once we get term limits. /s

Comment by Gruntled University Employee Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:52 am
It’s a loss to both the employees, and to the students who will see fewer course options, more crowded classrooms, fewer resources in the classrooms. Overall a loss for the community and one that won’t be easily remedied.

What do the legislators in the RCC service area say about this?

Comment by pawn Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:56 am
Oh well, just part of the grand plan. /s

Comment by AnonymousOne Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:57 am
On Monday BigBrain was supporting higher ed rationing according to Peoria Journal Star….sounds like gaining speed to make us West Indiana

Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:57 am
The counties that went all in on Rauner continue to reap the awards of this administration. Pat Quinn learned his lesson.

Comment by Almost the Weekend Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:58 am
“What do the legislators in the RCC service area say about this?”
Answer is not what they say but what they do, which be nothing.

Comment by My New Handle Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:59 am
Starving our education system, no matter what level, does not turn Illinois around.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/nyregion/it-turns-out-spending-more-probably-does-improve-education.html?_r=0

Comment by fed up Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 11:09 am
Job creators get excited about lack of vocational education opportunities. You don’t need a phony secretary of ed ghost payroller at $250K to know that.

What products do those “dozens” of manufacturers Rauner claims to have lined up make? T-shirts? Gym shoes? Those jobs are done by kids in Pakistan and Vietnam working for nickels. You ain’t going to compete with them.

Manufacturers in this country increasingly require continual education to operate their very expensive machines producing their high-margin products.

All this destruction is for a better economic future? The lie would be laughable if the consequences weren’t so misanthropic.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 11:27 am
Rock Valley College did the same thing two weeks ago.

Comment by Michael Westen Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 11:34 am
There is no profit in it so Republicans don’t care

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 12:19 pm
For all of you who say ‘pick up your bootstraps and this needs to happen are full of cr@p. These are people with families, commitments and livelihoods. This problem is solely due to IL politicians in ability to work together. So many people suffering and kill our educational system. These jobs provide tax dollars and feed the economy. Laying off people does not help turn IL around. I am sooo sick of both Madigan [who won’t budge on anything] and Rauner for his inability to put forth a budget. Time to storm the capitol and remove these inept politicians

Comment by StJohn Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 12:49 pm
I think the other issue RCC has encountered in recent years is a substantial decrease in enrollment. WCIA mentioned that in the version of the story I heard.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 12:54 pm
Community Colleges are the bootstraps people use to pull themselves up. Not funding them is penny wise and pound foolish.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 1:07 pm
@Arthur Andersen

Enrollment at Richland has dropped 13 percent in the past six years, and total enrollment is at a 20-year low.

And from my conversations with those in Decatur, I’m hearing a lot of ‘the college need to tighten their belts like the rest of us’ type mentality, specifically due to the declining population in the area.

http://herald-review.com/news/local/education/buyouts-relieve-richland-budget-stress/article_67afea68-4024-5d5f-9b18-78ab0dd1a382.html

Comment by Tree Fiddy Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 1:28 pm