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BTC might hire instructors to keep up with demand

ROCK TOWNSHIP — Blackhawk Technical College likely will hire a few instructors this school year in order to keep up with the continually rising enrollments.

Local layoffs are the major factor in the enrollment increase. With SUV production coming to an end at the Janesville General Motors plant in December, the upsurge is expected to continue.

BTC President Eric Larson told the BTC Board at its meeting Wednesday that he soon would propose new, limited-term hires of instructors in the office technology and certified nursing assistant programs.

Larson said he’s also looking at hiring another counselor on a limited-term basis because counselors are having a hard time keeping up with demand.

The college also will ask some faculty members to help out for two or three hours a week in student services and administrative tasks connected with the nearly 22 percent increase in the number of full- and part-time students this fall, Larson said.

Larson said the administration would work with employee unions as it seeks help from instructors in order to get through the next eight months, to the end of the current fiscal year.

BTC Board Chairman Tom Westrick said BTC must give students a chance at success, and if more staff is needed to do that, the board likely would agree.

In a related move, the board agreed to expand its parking lot with 98 new parking spaces. The work will be done as soon as possible so that it can be completed before the asphalt plant closes, said Dan Hartstern, vice president for finance and operations.

Wood Environments of Beloit was awarded the contract with the lowest of three bids for the parking lot, $84,461.

Officials originally had estimated the job would cost more than $200,000, but Hartstern said they later discovered that some of the asphalt they needed already existed, as part of a roadway.

In other business Tuesday, the board set the 2009 tax levy at $20.62 million, a 4.9 percent increase from the previous year.

A look at the 2008-09 budget for Blackhawk Technical College:

Total budget

This year $44.46 million

Last year $42.15 million

Increase 5.5%

Tax levy

This year $20.62 million

Last year $19.66 million

Increase 4.9%

Tax rate

(Per $1,000 of equalized valuation)

This year $1.70489

Last year $1.69542

Increase 0.56%

Note: Percent changes calculated on whole numbers.