Texas community colleges worry about state's budget - Associated Press

Texas community colleges have been experiencing a historic growth spurt but might be forced to increase class sizes and lay off employees without additional state funding, some school leaders said. Hundreds of thousands of students have flooded into community colleges since the middle of the last decade, attracted by low tuition and diverse course offerings, from welding to computer science and engineering. Although overall enrollment at community colleges is lower than the previous semester, administrators say state assistance has failed to keep pace with years of steady growth. The 2011 budget did not include cuts for community colleges, but spending remained flat and did not cover a 20 percent increase in enrollment during the previous two years, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. http://www.news-journal.com/news/state/community-colleges-worry-about-state-s-budget/article_aaaea8f0-02ef-5078-9c6b-2bdd3ff1edeb.html