(Photo from Southwest MS Community College's Facebook page)
- HB 1284 would reduce the current 15 community and junior college districts down to 12 by July 2027.
State Rep. Trey Lamar (R), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in Mississippi, has filed legislation that would consolidate a number of community colleges, reducing the current 15 community and junior college districts down to 12.
Lamar’s legislation, HB 1284, would consolidate the following community colleges:
- The Mississippi Delta Community College District would be consolidated with the Coahoma Community College District and be known as the Mississippi Delta Community College District. Coahoma Community College would then be known as the Coahoma Campus of Mississippi Delta Community College.
- The East Mississippi Community College District would be consolidated with the Meridian Community College District and be known as the East Mississippi Community College District. Meridian Community College would then be known as the Meridian Campus of East Mississippi Community College.
- The Copiah-Lincoln Community College District would be consolidated with the Southwest Mississippi Community College District and be known as the Copiah-Lincoln Community College District. Southwest Community College would then be known as the Summit Campus of Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
The legislation states that the Mississippi Community College Board “shall provide for the administrative consolidation of those community college districts” before July 1, 2027. The Mississippi Community College Board is also tasked with serving the boards of trustees of each
community college district scheduled for consolidation with notice and instructions regarding the timetable for action to be taken to comply with the administrative consolidation mandated in the bill should it pass.
As part of the consolidation, all real and personal property owned or titled in the name of the community college district being consolidated would be transferred to the new community college district to which it is being consolidated.
The measure outlines the process for administrative consolidation at the schools before stating, “Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the closing of any college or facility, unless the facility is an unneeded administrative office located within a community college district which has been abolished under the provisions of this section.”
The bill has been referred to the House Universities and Colleges Committee for consideration.
Rep. Lamar told Magnolia Tribune Thursday afternoon that “at a time where the community college system is asking the taxpayers of Mississippi to fund tens of millions in new investment into the system, the savings realized from administrative consolidation at our smaller schools could be immediately rolled into the 12 remaining community colleges for significant staff and faculty pay raises.”
“This measure has the taxpayers’ best interest in mind as we need to seriously and realistically ask ourselves, should we continue to try to afford 15 community colleges across Mississippi?” Lamar said. “This is especially pertinent in smaller geographic areas that have decreased in population where we are currently attempting to operate full blown administrative colleges with fewer resources.”
Rep. Lamar added that “it is important for the public to understand that, if this measure were to pass, we would still operate academic campuses at these sites, but they would just be under the administration of a larger college, thereby saving those tax dollars that are currently being used on administrative expenses.”
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include Rep. Lamar’s comments.
