Mari Yoder, vice president of institutional development at Northwest State Community College, said NSCC anticipates ending fiscal year in the black by about $25,000.

On a budget of more than $18.5 million, that's a pretty slim margin, she said.

The NSCC board of trustees approved a revised operating budget at the Friday, Feb. 6, meeting.

NSCC operates on a fiscal year from July 1 to June 30 the following year.

Yoder said at the start of each fiscal year, college officials estimate revenue and expenses, and base a temporary budget on the projections.

By law, the college has until February to approve a final budget.

Yoder said revenue at the college is up by about $100,000, partly as a result of an increase in the number of students.

But, she said, more students mean increased costs.

"The college is working very hard on our operating budget. A lot of cost-cutting measures have been put in place," she said.

College officials are working on ways to use energy more effi ciently, including changing light bulbs for new, energy-effi cient ones.

She said college officials are making sure classes are filled, to make them cost-efficient.

She credited the satellite campus system for filling classes. Satellite campuses, spread through the five-county service area, connect students with instructors at the main campus with audio-video links.

$18.575 Million

Yoder said the budget approved by the NSCC board anticipates revenue of approximately $18.575 million, and expenses of roughly $18.55 million.

That leaves a year-end balance of $25,000.

That does not necessarily mean a major equipment failure or repair bill puts the college into the red.

"We have money built in (to the budget) for maintenance and equipment," she said.

Nervous

The downturn in the economy has reached into almost everything, and NSCC is no exception.

"We're very nervous, as is every public entity, about what comes down the pike from the federal government and the state," she said.