Roberto Gutierrez, president of Klamath Community College, urged members of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means to fully fund community colleges statewide and said community colleges are "the economic engines of Oregon's higher ed system." He asked the committee to consider $920,000,000 requested for community colleges in the co‑chairs' budget framework. Gutierrez told the committee that community colleges serve the most underserved students in higher education and that tuition increases threaten access.

Stacy Peterson, director of KCC's cosmetology program, described rapid enrollment growth and asked the legislature for a $4,000,000 capital match to build a new, ADA‑compliant facility. Peterson said the program grew from 242 registrations in 2023 to 702 in 2024, posts an 84 percent pass rate, and currently operates in a 100‑year‑old building with inadequate plumbing, ventilation, electrical capacity and parking. She said the present facility sits in a high‑crime area and that safety and space constraints are already forcing the program to use off‑site space for licensing tests.

Daneltha Dodson, CEO of Oregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC), described a collaboration with KCC to develop a 14‑classroom early learning center on the KCC campus. Dodson said the proposed center would serve infants through preschool, provide curriculum and individualized plans, and function as a training site for KCC early childhood education students. She called the project a response to Klamath County's childcare shortage and asked the committee to consider capital support.

Speakers emphasized two related funding needs: ongoing operating support for community colleges and one‑time capital funding to address urgent facility constraints. Gutierrez framed the operating request as part of the systemwide budget ask; Peterson and Dodson framed their needs as local capital projects that, if unmet, would constrain program growth and student access.

The committee co‑chairs opened the public hearing and noted the budget framework seeks to "protect core services" while recognizing limited resources and an upcoming revenue forecast. No formal vote or committee action was taken during the hearing; speakers were delivering public testimony.

Ending: Klamath Community College officials and partner organizations requested both biennial operating investments and targeted capital dollars—$920 million systemwide for community colleges and local capital asks including a $4 million match for the cosmetology building and support for a 14‑classroom early learning center—to expand access and meet program growth. Written testimony was accepted electronically for those who did not speak.