SCC Board Authorizes President to Move Forward With Bond Issue Planning

The Southeast Community College

(www.southeast.edu) Board of Governors passed a resolution on Mar. 24 authorizing College President Dr. Paul Illich to prepare for a potential bond issue that could be included on the Nov. 8 ballot. The special meeting took place on SCC’s Lincoln Campus.

The Board passed the resolution on a 10-1 vote, with Board member Don Reiman of Virginia voting no. Sometime prior to Sept. 1 the Board could decide whether to put the bond issue on the November ballot.
Last year SCC hired The Clark Enersen Partners of Lincoln to conduct a 10-year Facilities Master Plan for the College. The firm examined existing facilities at all SCC locations and presented its findings in late 2015. The plan calls for $508 million of construction, renovation and reconfiguring of SCC’s locations in Beatrice, Lincoln and Milford, as well as six additional learning centers within the 15-county area outside of Gage, Lancaster and Seward counties.

SCC wanted to measure the level of support for a potential bond issue, and Research Associates of Lincoln was hired to conduct a telephone survey to measure the attitudes of registered voters living in SCC’s 15-county service area. The survey was administered Feb. 15-28. Survey questions covered topics related to awareness of SCC, attitudes toward SCC programs, general attitudes toward a bond issue, attitudes toward specific bond issue projects, voting on a bond issue, and demographics.

Illich said there were a number of steps Southeast Community College would take to prepare for a potential bond issue, including hiring bond counsel and embarking on an information campaign.

If you want to learn more, please visit www.southeast.edu.