Chancellor Bruce Leslie urged faculty and staff of the district's five colleges Monday to communicate with their representatives when the Texas Legislature convenes in January to support bills favorable to community college education.
He told an audience of nearly 1,000 at the fall convocation in McAllister Fine Arts Center that he expects legislators to consider measures — some favorable and some not — that will affect community colleges.
The state is expected to have an $18 billion budget shortfall, which will increasingly affect community college funding.
"A lot of the country has gone through it, and now it's Texas' turn," the chancellor said.
He predicted contentious issues such as redistricting and immigration reform will dominate the biannual legislative session and "make it more difficult to get our ideas out."
He said the district will lobby legislators on behalf of community colleges, and he pledged to keep employees informed of their progress.
He noted that the Alamo Community College District board of trustees will vote at 6 p.m. Thursday on whether to raise taxes and tuition. A tax increase would mean a $5 annual increase on a $100,000 home, and the tuition hike proposed would cost the average student an additional $30 beginning in the spring semester.
If these actions aren't taken, he said district and college leaders will have a third budget retreat to determine additional cuts over the next two years. Two were held during the summer, which led to 25 strategies for saving money for 2010-11, such as freezing hiring, increasing class size and reducing temporary help.
Leslie said one goal of the district is to cut 350 full-time equivalent positions through attrition.
Dr. David Vinson, Floresville Independent School District superintendent, outlined a marketing plan called Generation TX developed with San Antonio retired advertising executive Lionel Sosa. The plan promotes college attendance at all grade levels.
Vinson said that 10 years ago the Floresville school district faced a lack of economic development, maximum capacity school populations and an inability of the students to reach their full potential.
Most children are not college-ready, Vinson said, and educators need to start early.
Vinson said the program engages students in education starting at kindergarten and develops college awareness until the fifth grade. In middle school, the program increases the student's aptitude with a section called college knowledge, and by the end of high school, they are college-ready.
"Most kids think Longhorns are just a football team," Vinson said.
Vinson said the aim is to find students where they are and get them to where they need to be.
Over the past year, Vinson said Floresville ISD spent $50 million of a $63 million bond to construct a new high school, including an early college high school sponsored by Alamo Colleges.
Vinson said he is proud to have his district be a part of the Alamo Colleges family.
He used a model of former Major League baseball player Cal Ripken Jr. who set the league record for 2,131 consecutive games played in September 1998 to depict achievement through perseverance.
"Hope exists through purpose," Vinson said, and students will reach their goals using their strengths toward a purpose.
He said the district has to "look a problem in the eye and you can't curse it, nurse it or rehearse it."
Floresville ISD and Alamo Colleges cannot fret over budget challenges, Vinson said. They have to think differently.
"This might be our moment to change Texas," he said, "and together we can change the world."
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article!