Like the rest of the state’s institutions of higher learning, the 19 community colleges in Kansas face budget challenges. It’s understandable that community colleges officials are frustrated by that situation, but the contention of a Dodge City Community College trustee that the situation may justify a lawsuit against the state doesn’t seem warranted.

This is the first year community colleges haven’t received tuition subsidies paid by other counties whose residents attend those schools. Out-district tuition was a way to share the costs of operating community colleges, which then were supported almost exclusively by property taxes in each college’s home county.

However, the legislation that brought state universities, community colleges and vocational-technical schools under the Kansas Board of Regents umbrella in 1999 called for out-district tuition to be phased out over four years and replaced with state subsidies to community college. The process took six years instead of four, but it now is complete.

The loss of funding has some community college officials, including Terry Malone, a Dodge City Community College trustee, concerned. An Associated Press story published in Friday’s Journal-World quoted Malone as saying, “If you have 18 counties out of 105 that bear the financial burden, you have 87 counties that don’t have to pay a dime.”

Perhaps Malone isn’t aware that the state provided almost $103 million for community colleges this year. Of that amount, $3.1 million was approved specifically to offset the loss of out-district tuition funds for this year. That is $103 million in state tax money collected from people in all 105 counties of Kansas.

It’s true that residents of Ford County pay more than the average Kansan to support Dodge City Community College because some of their local property taxes go to the school. However, while state funding may not have lowered property taxes in counties with community colleges, it has helped prevent increases that would have occurred otherwise. At the same time, the state has allowed counties to maintain local governance of their community colleges.

As part of that local control, perhaps community colleges should consider charging different tuition rates for county residents and nonresidents. Through local property taxes, county residents already have paid more than the average Kansan to support that county’s community college, so it makes some sense to offer them a lower tuition rate than residents of other counties.

Community colleges play an important role in the state’s higher education system. The $103 million the state contributed to community colleges this year is a recognition of that role. Maybe officials in Dodge City and other community colleges want more, but it’s simply wrong to contend that their county taxpayers are bearing the colleges’ financial burden alone.