Lake Land College Board Approves $117.7 Million Operating Budget for FY 2026

Article Summary: The Lake Land College Board of Trustees unanimously approved a $117.7 million operating budget for the 2026 fiscal year during its meeting on Monday. The budget was adopted following a 30-day public display period and a public hearing where no comments from the community were made.

Lake Land College FY 2026 Budget Key Points:

• Total budget for all funds is set at $117,670,049.

• The Educational fund, the largest component, is budgeted at $55.3 million.

• The Restricted Purposes fund, which includes grants and specific-use state and federal funding, is budgeted at $32.8 million.

• The budget was passed via Resolution No. 0825-001 after a review by the Finance Committee and a public hearing with no objections.

EFFINGHAM — The Lake Land College Board of Trustees gave its final approval Monday night to a $117.7 million operating budget for the 2026 fiscal year, which began July 1, 2025. The vote concludes a months-long planning process designed to allocate resources across the college’s various educational, operational, and auxiliary functions.

The budget was formally adopted through Resolution No. 0825-001. College President Dr. Josh Bullock noted that the budget had been thoroughly reviewed by the board’s Finance Committee on July 10 and was presented for a first reading at the July 14 board meeting.

Following that initial presentation, the proposed budget was made available for public inspection for at least 30 days, a requirement under state law. A formal public hearing was held at the start of Monday’s meeting, but no members of the public offered comments or questions.

“The Finance Committee met on July 10 for an in-depth review of the proposed Budget, and the Committee’s consensus was to recommend to the Board approval of the Budget as presented,” Bullock told the board.

The largest portion of the budget is the Educational fund, which accounts for $55,286,502 in expenditures and covers most instructional and academic support costs. The second-largest allocation is the Restricted Purposes fund at $32,824,234, which consists of money from grants and other sources that are designated for specific programs or uses.

Other major fund allocations in the newly adopted budget include:

• Operations & Maintenance (Restricted): $9,803,571

• Bond and Interest: $6,761,400

• Operations & Maintenance: $5,504,126

• Auxiliary Enterprises: $4,883,373

• Liability, Protection, & Settlement: $2,442,745

• Audit: $164,098

Trustee Larry D. Lilly, who serves on the Finance Committee, moved to approve the resolution, with a second from Trustee Scott Montgomery. The motion passed on a unanimous roll call vote of the trustees present.