Coast Community College District Message on Budget Cuts

Note: There is a correction made in this post. A typographical error stated the cost of one unit as $256. The cost of one unit at a California community college is $26 starting fall 2009. The post is now corrected to show $26.  

This message is from Jim Moreno, President of the Board of Trustees of Coast Community College District. Coast Community College District includes Coastline Community College, Golden West College and Orange Coast College.  

A Message from the Board President

After a very long wait, the state legislature and Governor have passed a budget and we are now able to deal with the current year’s fiscal issues and start planning more effectively for 2010-11.  The Coast District represents approximately three percent of the state’s community college overall funding.  Based upon the initial estimates, the Coast Community College District for this fiscal year is facing over $5 million is cuts in the general apportionment and over $6 million in categorical program cuts.  These conservative estimates are based upon anticipated property taxes and state revenues and not on actual state income taxes and revenues, which may be much lower.

As you are all aware, we prepared for over $20 million in cuts.  The assumptions regarding our budget allocations represent a best case scenario.  This year alone we have already cut $10 million and it’s not getting better.  I encourage each of you to carefully consider the budget in your daily work routines and be aware of expenses and ways to lessen them.

Along with my fellow board members, I hope that each of you will get involved and take a stand for our institutions.  We will continue to support our student efforts at advocating in Sacramento.  It is our students that have the greatest voice with our legislators and they have proven to be outstanding advocates.  In fact, when they met with Chancellor Scott in Sacramento several months ago, he was more than blunt about his predictions for state’s budget crisis and was lament to admit that they would come true.  The students learned first-hand what it was like to speak out about an issue and the legislators were able to see the impact of their actions upon students.  It was a great experience for both parties and for our board members. 

Here are the facts: 

•  Student fees have been increased to $26/unit.  Our students will have to pay more for less with not understanding that their fees go straight to Sacramento.
• Our community members will have a difficult time getting classes at our three colleges because there will be so many students looking to complete their general education requirements that were turned away from the Cal States and University of California schools. Worse, they will be delayed in their efforts to transfer or graduate in a timely manner because we simply will not have enough resources to serve them.
• Our teachers and support staff will have to do more work with less money.  We will be forced to serve more student (including returning Veterans, displaced workers and students turned away from the 4-year colleges) with fewer resources.  For the next fiscal year, we are facing millions of dollars in budget cuts in addition to what we have already slashed this year.
• Sacramento will be in worse trouble than today and will have to focus its limited resources on public safety and limited essential health care.

Our board has been aware of this crisis and has been working with staff for months to prepare the District and provide the softest landing possible.  It would be nice to have sufficient resources to meet our needs, but in these economic times that is impossible. We recognize the efforts of our faculty and staff and we must continue to work to serve our students and our communities to the best of our abilities.

Jim Moreno

President, Trustees of Coast Community College District

Comments

[Desi]

"Student fees have been increased to $256/unit."

Hopefully that's a typo!!

[Publisher]

The typo has been corrected. The correct fee is $26/unit, which represents a significant increase over $20/unit.