Local educators wonder if schools will be open

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard (McMinnville, Tenn.)

PALLAS

As the state legislature continues its budget talks today local higher education officials are unsure if they’ll be able to open their doors tomorrow morning.

“Right now there are two scenarios,” said Dr. Abraham Pallas, director of the Tennessee Technology Center in McMinnville. “Either the legislature will pass no budget, meaning a total shutdown, or they will pass a five-day continuation budget which will allow only essential services.”

Should no budget be passed by midnight tonight and a total shutdown occurs, the doors of all state institutions of higher learning will remain locked tomorrow morning. Local officials were even warned not to volunteer their time at their institutions for liability reasons.

Meeting in Memphis Friday, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) discussed contingency plans should the legislature pass the Essential Government Services Act of 2002. TBR is the governing body for all higher education in the state – except for the UT system – and governs locally the Technology Center, Motlow State Community College, Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State.

The act, if passed in current form, would require all TBR institutions to take the following steps, among others:

• Delay for one week the start of any new classes

• Suspend existing classes for one week

• Maintain only the staff necessary to carry out essential functions, including business office, maintenance, security, federally funded programs, information technology support, research projects, animal care and administration.

Dr. Pallas said the Technology Center is fortunate in that classes are currently not in session and, with the exception of himself and two others, all personnel will be on vacation next week. “Either scenario will have only a minimum impact here,” he said.

Other local institutions aren’t as fortunate. Wednesday marks the last day of the first of the summer term at Motlow, where final exams are scheduled over three days. Either scenario will have classes and exams suspended, to resume July 8 and conclude July 10 (assuming a budget is passed by Wednesday).

Janie Robbins, director of the Tennessee Tech University McMinnville Center, said her center has no classes tomorrow, but should the budget problems persist into Tuesday both undergraduate and graduate classes at the center, with close to 50 students, will be affected.

“It’s really drastic what they’re talking about doing,” she said.