COMMUNITY
CONNECTION News from Butler Community College | Fall 2023
Dr. Kimberly Krull President Dr. Thomas Nevill Vice President of Academics Bill Rinkenbaugh Vice President of Student Services Tom Borrego Vice President of Advancement/ Special Asst. to the President Kent Williams Vice President of Finance Bill Young Vice President of Digital Transformation / CIO Dr. Jessica Ohman Associate Vice President of Student Services Dr. Esam Mohammad Associate Vice President of Research & Institutional Effectiveness Shelley Stultz Associate Vice President of Human Resources Dr. Terry Sader Professor and President, Butler Community College Education Association Kelly Snedden Director of College Relations & Marketing
OUR MISSION
Butler Community College inspires and prepares students for lifetime success through inclusive, innovative, affordable, quality education while advancing community vitality.
Butler County Friends, As we approach the middle of the fall semester, I would like to share an important budget decision recently made by the Board of Trustees, and what it means for you, the taxpayers. After meaningful conversations and listening to concerns of Butler County taxpayers, along with our ongoing effort to be fiscally responsible, the Board of Trustees declined another $180,000 in tax dollars from the county over last year, despite a significant increase in property valuation within the county. Mill Levy Decrease This continues a very positive trend, while the county’s property valuation has increased 37% over the past five years, the College’s tax request has decreased more than $2.2M and the mill levy has decreased 38% over that same time frame, resulting in the lowest mill levy since 1986. Out-of-County Students I hear concerns that Butler County taxpayers are supporting out-of-county students who attend Butler. The important thing to know about outof-county students is that they pay $30/credit hour more than Butler students who are county residents. That adds up to $720 a year for 12 credit hours, which is 3.5x more than the annual taxes paid by a Butler County resident who owns a home of average assessed valuation.
“Butler Community College is extraordinarily grateful for every cent of investment we receive from taxpayers, and our decisions will continue to be guided by that gratitude.”
- Dr. Kim Krull, President
In 2023, out-of-county students contributed nearly $9M in tuition revenue, and the credit hours they completed generated $11.4M in state aid. These dollars afford the College the ability to offer programs like Nursing/Pre-Nursing, Business Administration, Allied Health, IT, Behavioral Science, Education and Engineering/Manufacturing, which would likely be too expensive to sustain and would therefore not be available to Butler County residents of all ages if not for these out-of-county students. Butler County Impact Butler seeks to offer programs of the highest academic quality and the best overall education we can for the residents of Butler County, and this makes us attractive to students of all addresses and backgrounds, including out-of-county, out-of-state, and international students. Based on the average assessed valuation of a home in Butler County in 2023, individual taxpayer’s support for Butler equates to a $0.48 cents per day. Due to inflation, there is not much you can buy at the store for $0.48 these days, but that does not diminish the significance of that investment in us, nor our gratitude for it. Sincerely,
Dr. Kimberly Krull President, Butler Community College
Butler receives state dollars to pay for workforce development
The Kansas Legislature recently appropriated $14.3 million to the statewide two-year college system in an effort to impact the state’s current labor shortage. Butler Community College received a total of $1.4 million, one of the larger amounts awarded. The funds can be used to help cover training costs for companies or pay training and equipment costs for individuals. No particular industries are being targeted, which allows for creativity and innovation on the part of businesses and those looking for a new career. Credit and noncredit courses can be taken, with the only stipulation being that funds cannot be used for scholarships. Butler also recently had five apprenticeship pathways approved by the Kansas Board of Regents. Plumber/pipefitter, construction trades, electrical, sheet metal, and a general workforce pathway, previously only available through local unions, are now open and available to anyone. If your business has job vacancies to fill and could benefit from these new funds, contact our Career and Workforce Education Division at (316) 323-6118 or email workforce@butlercc.edu to learn more.
New app provides access to all things Butler
Butler Community College’s Butler Creative TV (BCTV) has launched a new streaming app, BCTV+. It offers students, parents, fans and community members access to a wide range of programming, including live events, sports, fine arts, board meetings, community events, Grizzly Classics and BCTV+ Originals. The app, available on the App Store, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and more, offers an easy-to-use interface and a wealth of features. Users can access content streaming live or on demand from nearly any device at any time. There’s also an interactive live stream schedule so fans never miss a moment of BCTV’s exciting programming. “We are thrilled to be launching BCTV+,” said Matt Jacobs, Technical Director of BCTV. “It is an exciting time for fans of not only our [Mass Comm} program but the entire college community. We are confident this new platform will help us reach a wider audience and bring more attention to the incredible talent emerging from Butler Community College.” Content can still be found on BCTV Channel 20, as well as the BCTV YouTube channel.
Butler grad and Rose Hill native Lathe Cobb of Rose Hill shares his story of what the colelge has done for him. Scan the QR code to watch.
COMMUNITY
32.6
CONNECTION
$
378
MILLION
$
Annual student spending in the area.
$
MILLION
Butler’s surrounding 10-county economic impact - enough to support 6,300+ jobs in the region.
8.7
MILLION
$
Annual amount spent by the college on goods and services in the county.
695,160
$
INVESTMENT
Total value of the Redler Institute of Culinary Arts in Andover is $6.02 million for which the college only paid $695,160. The rest was raised as gifts in kind, deep discounts by suppliers of equipment and furnishings, and private donations.
23
%
DISCOUNT Butler County residents receive a $30/credit hour discount on tuition compared to out-of-county students.
4.7
MILLION
Annual amount spent in Butler County by college employees residing out of county.
643
In Fall 2023, 643 Butler County high school students are also enrolled in classes at Butler Community College.
46
$
MILLION IMPACT IN BUTLER COUNTY A conservative estimate puts Butler’s total direct economic impact to the county at $46 million.
Source: Lightcast, 2019
What is a mill levy ...
A mill levy is a tax applied by local governments based on the assessed value of a property to cover budgets and pay for public services. The rate of the tax is expressed in mills, and one mill is equal to one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value. Butler’s mill levy represents a small portion of the property tax applied to Butler County homeowners.
... and how does it affect me?
Being home to a community college is one of the best economic drivers a region can have. Community colleges offer residents quality jobs, bring new taxpayers and a talented labor pool to the area with money in their pockets, and help residents raise their socioeconomic status through education—allowing them to get better jobs and earn more money.
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 36 EL DORADO, KS 67042
901 S. Haverhill Road El Dorado, KS 67042
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FI N E ARTS SCH O L ARSH I P DAY I S F R I D A Y, N O V E M B E R 1 0 ! Students can receive funding for college while gaining valuable experience through our scholarships! They are not required to major in the field for which the scholarship is granted. Scan the code to register.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Forrest Rhodes - Chair District 3, Position 3 forrest.rhodes@butlercc.edu Linda Jolly - Vice Chair District 1, Position 4 linda.jolly@butlercc.edu Mary Martha Good Secretary / Treasurer At Large mgood2@butlercc.edu Kim Braungardt District 2, Position 5 kim.braungardt@butlercc.edu
Butler Community College’s Mill Levy: Lowest in Nearly 40 Years
Butler Community College’s mill levy, a number that reached 20.068 in 2018, will be 12.431 for fiscal year 2024. The college also continues to be the lowest taxing entity in the county.
BUTLER COMMUNITY COLLEGE MILL RATES 2018-2024 20.068
19.336
20
18.007 15.262
13.855
12.431
10
Dave Sherrer District 3, Position 6 david.sherrer@butlercc.edu Shelby Smith District 2, Position 2 shelby.smith@butlercc.edu Julie Winslow District 1, Position 1 julie.winslow@butlercc.edu
0 2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
Know the facts and vote on November 7!