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PJC Regents approve 2021-22 budget with new eSports program

PJC Regents approve 2021-22 budget with new eSports program

Published or Revised August 25, 2021

The Paris Junior College Board held a formal public hearing Monday, August 23, 2021 on the 2021-22 tax rate and budget and received no public comment. The proposed tax rate is $0.0815 per $100 valuation in Lamar County. After adjourning from the hearing and reconvening their regular monthly meeting, the regents approved the 2021-22 budget of $32,981,833. While lower than the previous year's budget, it includes increases to salary tables, step increases, and percentage increases, based on employee classifications. Also included in the budget was funding for an additional computer science instructor and the computers and other equipment needed to start both an eSports program at PJC and a gaming simulation program. In other business the regents:
  • Approved early payoff of a 2012 bond debt in the amount of $2,244,821.
  • Gave required annual approval to a policy requiring a property deposit fee of zero. College procedures to collect damages for destruction of property from students continue to work without needing deposits.
  • Authorized the transfer of up to $3.5 million to the Renewals and Replacements Fund.
  • Accepted the Certified Tax Rolls for property taxable by Paris Junior College, as presented by the Lamar County Chief Appraiser. The new property tax value was approximately $48 million more than last year's tax value.
  • Approved a list of deferred maintenance projects to be paid for out of the Renewals and Replacements fund.
  • Accepted the 2021-2030 Strategic Goals for the College.
  • Approved selection of the architectural firm Pfluger for architectural drawings for the Workforce Training Center in Greenville and a housing facility in Paris. Construction will start prior to the company's fee being charged. That fee is a percentage of the construction costs.
  • Accepted the promotion/reassignment of Heath Thomas from Instructor to Instructor/Coordinator, Emergency Medical Services (EMS); the employment of History Instructor Micha Flowers and EMS Instructor James Smith, Jr.; the rescinded resignations of Licensed Vocational Instructor Danielle Gerhardt-Gilbreath and Associate Degree Nursing Instructor Dwana Hollidai; and the resignations of PJC-Sulphur Springs Center Welding Instructor (night) Johnny Glasco, Licensed Vocational Nursing Instructor Tammy Goodman; and Educational Opportunity Center Advisor Tonya Yeager.