News Photo by Reagan Voetberg Alpena Community College Vice President Nick Brege speaks about the fiscal year 2026 budget on Thursday night at the regular board of trustees meeting.

ALPENA — The Alpena Community College board of trustees approved the fiscal year 2026 budget at their regular meeting on Thursday, with notable increases in spending on athletics, student activities and the debt service fund.

ACC President Don MacMaster and Board Chair John Briggs, as well as the other board members, thanked ACC Vice President Nick Brege for putting together the budget in the midst of uncertainty about federal funding.

The ACC fiscal year 2026 runs from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.

The college’s general fund revenue comes from three main sources: state aid, tuition and fees, and local property taxes.

The college is projected to receive $6,928,181 in state aid, $7,321,966 in tuition and fees, and $3,541,051 from local property taxes. That makes 38.5% from state aid, 40.7% from tuition and fees, and 19.7% from local property taxes.

The designated fund budget encompasses a variety of funds that service the non-curricular activities of students, staff, and faculty. The fund supports athletics/student activities, workforce development, special events/staff development, Madeline Briggs University Center, and technology.

The budget for the athletics/student activities in the designated fund is expected to be a balance of $666,831, which is about a $100,000 increase from fiscal year 2025. The increase is due to the funding of three new sports teams — men’s soccer, women’s soccer, and women’s cross country.

Overall, the designated fund revenue increased by about $200,000 from fiscal year 2025. The total projected budget for the designated fund is a balance of $1,379,853 in fiscal year 2026.

The auxiliary enterprises fund consists of those activities that directly generate revenue to accomplish their objectives. The college bookstore, food service, auto service, transportation, and housing are all enterprises within the fund.

Revenue is expected to be $373,700 while expenses are expected to be $605,153.

The restricted fund includes many of the grants the college receives, such as the educational talent search grant and the Renewable Energy and Electrification Infrastructure Enhancement and Development (EIED) grant, which will be used to construct a six-acre solar array in fiscal year 2026.

The total revenue received from grants in fiscal year 2026 is expected to be $2,153,551.

For the capital equipment/building maintenance fund, the projected revenue is $342,585 and expenses are expected to be $311,000. The capital equipment/building maintenance fund provides the financial resources to undertake projects that preserve and enhance ACC’s capital assets.

The plant fund is a depository for various state and local grants that are directed toward the construction of capital projects, like the new student housing unit expected to begin construction this summer. The total project cost is estimated to be $4.7 million. The college has received federal support through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rural development community facilities program, totaling $1.75 million.

The debt service fund expenses are expected to increase to fund the new student housing unit, from $47,451 to $156,730. The expenses will be paid through a transfer from the housing fund. The college has an installment purchase agreement that began in May 2017 to pay off the College Park Apartments, and will begin a new installment purchase agreement for the new housing unit. The college will borrow approximately $1,150,000 to be paid back over 20 years.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

*The board met for a closed session prior to the meeting to discuss the president’s evaluation.

*The board approved the proposed administrative salary schedule for fiscal year 2026, which increased administrative salary levels by 3%.

*The board approved the modification of policy 5011, tuition waiver for campus activity program policy upon second reading. The policy was modified for the college to allow 1,000 contact hours in tuition waivers for athletes, an increase from 780.

*The board approved the purchase of 166 workstations and 332 computer monitors from Michigan Master Computing — MiDEAL for a cost not to exceed $173,438.46. The total cost of the computer replacement and lab equipment rotation package is $190,038.46.

*The board approved the purchase of a Lincoln Electric Maverick 325X and LN-25X wire feeder from Airgas Alpena for a cost not to exceed $21,000. The portable generator/welder and wire feeder will be used to train students in the welding program.

*The board approved the authorization of appropriate college officials to contract with Beyond Horizons Tour and Travel of Mt. Pleasant to provide bus transportation for the men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, baseball, and softball teams for the 2025 through 2026 school year.

*The board voted to appoint MacMaster, Trustee Florence Stibitz, and Trustee Teresa Duncan to the Michigan Community College Association board of directors, with Duncan as the alternate trustee director.

*Kelli Leask, director of nursing, resigned effective May 23.

*Nicholas Fletcher was hired as the men’s soccer head coach.

*Andrew Ornelas was hired as the women’s cross country head coach.

*Timothy Allen was hired as the men’s cross county head coach.

*Aaron Guitar was hired as the athletics office coordinator.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.