Despite doom-and-gloom news about lean state budgets and dwindling federal pandemic-relief funds, some community colleges have successfully staved off cuts this budget cycle, to the great relief of campus leaders and advocates. They say these spells of good fortune show growing support for their institutions among state lawmakers. New Jersey state legislators reversed course late last month on a proposed 12 percent cut to the state’s 18 community colleges. The earlier version of the budget put $20 million at risk, a sum added by the state Legislature last year to offset rising employee health-care costs at the colleges. But the final version of the budget, recently signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy, kept funding level with last year.
