Push has finally come to shove at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. Facing the worst financial crisis in its 158 year history, and acting on the advice of outside consultants, the Lon Morris Board of Trustees has furloughed the school's faculty and staff and shut the school down.

The small private two year college is teetering on the brink of oblivion, but hoping to reopen in the fall.

 

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After several years of deficits and borrowing to stay afloat, Lon Morris Trustees recently hired consultants to restructure the school's finances and do whatever is necessary to keep the doors open.

LMC is in this fix because it was trying to provide more academic and athletic programs than it could afford. It's been operating in the red for some time, and it has failed to meet the past three payrolls.

LMC President Miles McCall was asked to resign, which he did. The consultants say negotiating with creditors will be easier with McCall out of the picture.

So while the consultants restructure the finances, the entire payroll has been eliminated, all summer classes are cancelled, the lights are off and the doors are locked.  Students in school housing have ten days to move out, with no assurance they'll be able to come back in the fall. The Trustees say they hope to bring the furloughed employees back in the fall, but they can't promise it.

And that's the way it is.  Stay tuned.

Lon Morris is the oldest two year college in Texas. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, but gets no financial support from it.

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