Gov. Mark Gordon is recommending that state lawmakers fund half the cost of constructing of a new, $20.4 million student center on Northwest College’s campus.

How much of the governor’s recommendation is ultimately funded is entirely up to the Wyoming Legislature, which could vote against providing any dollars when it meets in February.

Northwest College President Stefani Hicswa said she was “thrilled” the student center project was included in Gordon’s proposal. The project’s funding is just one part of a roughly $3.2 billion budget laid out for the 2021-2022 biennium.

“Overall I think the budget is fair and strategic,” Hicswa said. “I commend Gov. Gordon for his long-range planning for our great state.”

Gordon's proposed budget recommends about $10.2 million in state funding, while another roughly $10.2 million will likely need to be raised from other sources to bring the project to fruition. Travis Hoff, a spokesman for the Wyoming State Construction Department, said the state typically looks for half the cost of construction to be shared with local sources — though lawmakers are not bound by any statutes holding them to that rule.

Hicswa suggested over the summer that half the funding for the center would come from the state, with the other half raised through a 1 percent countywide specific purpose sales tax and private donations.

In July, Hicswa began presenting to various groups — including the Powell City Council and Park County Commission — on the idea of a new student center. The current center is 50 years old and has problems, college officials say.

Hicswa has argued that facilities are a main draw for prospective students — and that a new student center would go a long ways to addressing NWC’s falling rates. While enrollment is declining across the country, Hicswa and NWC Board of Trustees President Dusty Spomer have said they believe NWC can buck the trend.

‘Critical’ funding not recommended

The governor didn’t recommend an additional $30 million requested for the state’s community colleges to address “critical areas” of need. That funding request was put forth in a proposal by the Wyoming Community College Presidents Council, of which Hicswa is the president.

Prior to a budget hearing for community colleges, the governor requested the WCCPC put together a proposal to outline Wyoming’s seven community colleges’ needs, a request the Wyoming Community College Commission supported.

While the governor isn’t recommending the Legislature make the $30 million appropriation the proposal requested, in his budget message, Gordon called the introductory letter to the funding request “compelling.”

“I thank the Presidents for the letter and I encourage others to read it,” he said in his message.

He said the state’s current fiscal situation meant the colleges, as well as the University of Wyoming, wouldn’t receive all the funding they requested, but he supported new, one-time investments that align with the economic opportunities the state is cultivating.

Prior to the governor releasing his budget, at the NWC Board of Trustees meeting this month, Hicswa said the funding the council requested was unlikely to come through.

“We made a bold ask” compared to those made in the past, Hicswa told the board.

The proposal was separate from the regular WCCC appropriations request process, which doesn’t provide an avenue for requests regarding operational support.

The $30 million included $10 million for economic development and diversification, $7.5 million for faculty recruitment and retention, $7 million for scholarships and student recruitment advertising, and $5.5 million for increased campus security measures.

While Hicswa never expected the state would provide the $30 million requested, she said the proposal will help communicate the institution’s needs.

“We probably won’t get this $30 million. I think that is safe to say,” she explained to trustees. “But we did want the governor and legislators to know what our needs are so we could start moving that conversation forward and hope for some support financially in this legislative session.”

A detailed proposal

The proposal detailed what the funding would cover, if it is awarded. The economic diversification funding would help provide training for areas outside Wyoming’s traditional industries, in anticipation for further declines in opportunities within the coal industry.

The funding for faculty recruitment and retention is intended to increase the competitiveness, as increases have not kept up with inflation or increases in health insurance premiums, the proposal warns.

The scholarship and recruitment funding will bring advertising budgets more in line with that of the University of Wyoming. Further, it’s aimed at helping meet projections that show an 82 percent increase in certificate and degreed graduates will be needed to meet the state’s workforce needs by 2040.

The security funding will provide more law enforcement presence and security technology on campus. At the trustees meeting, Hicswa said campuses like NWC’s are safe, but that schools will need to ensure the community spaces remain so into the future.

“With budget cuts and inflationary pressures, coupled with increased industry and legislative demands, the colleges are finding it difficult to respond to current needs, let alone proactively address the needs of Wyoming’s future,” the proposal concluded.

The Legislature will be in a budget session this year, meaning lawmakers will primarily focus on appropriations for the biennium, rather than policies. The session convenes on Feb. 20.

(Editor's note: This version corrects that the governor's budget recommendations call for the state to fund half of the cost of the proposed student center, not the full amount.)